Putting the Fun in Dying
by ActionBitch
Summary: I am just an average grim reaper. Most people fear me and there are a few who laugh in my face before I take their souls and send them to Hell, all for the sake of pleasing my lazy boss. Now I've met people who can defy me, a reaper...this should be fun.
1. Chapter 1

Escaping Death

"Send one of the others…I don't feel like fetching a mere human bandit's soul." A man growled with boredom as he walked away, waving his hand in a good-bye gesture. The dark demon that asked him to fetch the soul glared after one of his other reapers.

"You go get it." He growled at the girl, who sighed as she stood up.

"Look, I said I was bored and I am not this bored, but if you insist," she replied, grabbing her scythe, broken chains that hooked to her limbs rattled as she moved. She sliced open a portal and stepped in it while yawning. She appeared in a grassy field and immediately saw the entrance to an almost invisible cave. She saw the dying aura of the bandit within, but she saw the pink aura of a priestess.

"Crap…and he just so happens to have a priestess protecting him? Just my luck." The girl growled, grabbing the long staff of her scythe and hacking a few branches down out of frustration.

"Who is out there?" another woman's voice called out. The reaper-girl panicked and quickly jumped up to where the priestess couldn't see her. She looked down from her perch and saw the long, raven-black hair tied back and careful chocolate brown eyes scanning the horizon. The priestess retreated back into the cave, taking one last look behind her before disappearing into the darkness.

"Jeez. Why can't he change our, "Never be seen by anyone but the deceased" policy? This is outright ridiculous." The reaper grumbled under her breath. She was Sei, the Shinigami of Restraint. Or the Grim Reaper of chains, handcuffs and ropes, whichever floated the cultural boat. She looked down and saw the priestess woman finally leaving to attend to whatever priestesses do. Sei was especially cautious of her, seeing as a god of death wouldn't last a chance against the purification.

"Now to get this poor bastard's soul and move on with my life…haha, I made a joke," Sei giggled, flipping her crimson red hair behind her shoulders and marching into the cave.

"Who…who is there?" the terribly wounded man called out weakly.

"Your worst nightmare!" Sei called back, holding her scythe up and trying to scare the man, but instead, she got his amused chuckling as a result. Sei lowered her scythe and stared down in the darkness with her lifeless red eyes.

"Have you come to take my soul to the underworld?" he asked, coughing a bit as he breathed weakly.

"No, I've come to…yeah, I haven't come up with a joke for that one. Yes sir, you are going to Hell…the bad one." Sei answered. The wounded bandit looked up at her, seeing her clearly. The darkness of the cave had disappeared…the whole cave disappeared. They were now floating in a never-ending bright, white space. The reaper girl had on a huge black cloak that was shredded on the ends of her sleeves and the bottom of the cloak itself. She had chains wrapped around both wrists and ankles and another chain wrapped around her waist. She also wore black boots and everything else black to add to the darkness of her appearance. She had lifeless red eyes and long, shaggy red hair to match. She wore gloves on her hands, which wielded a scythe that was almost as long as she was tall.

"Is there not someone else out there worse than I?" the bandit asked.

"I don't judge by what you've done. I'm just doing my job. Now, hold still, if I can cut it out right on the first try, the faster we can get out of here," Sei answered, holding the tip of her scythe on his burned chest and getting ready to slice him open, but then a dark, deep voice called the bandit's name and brought him back to Earth. Sei realized they were back in the cave, meaning that she had to get his soul now.

"Feast on my flesh, demons! Hahaha!" the bandit called out.

"Damn it all." Sei sighed as she sliced open a portal, realizing that she was unable to grab his soul now that he was more than alive. Now he was a demon…sort of.

"You have failed me, Sei." The boss demon growled, his yellow eyes glaring heatedly at her and huge, dark body towering over her.

"You were supposed to send Set's lazy ass to get him, anyway. Not my fault." Sei answered unworriedly. There was nothing that could be done to her anyway, so why sweat getting in trouble?

"Hm…the priestess and half-demon are dying…the half-demon is fixed to a tree and the priestess is dead, this shouldn't be too difficult of a task, Sei." The boss demon growled. Sei yawned and disappeared inside her portal once more, chains rattling as she left.

"Alright, half-demon, time to steal your…huh?" Sei stopped talking. Yes, he was fixed to a tree by an arrow, which was shot through his heart, but he was not even near being dead. He was just…sleeping.

"Good job, boss. You're really handy to have around." Sei grumbled, flying to the village to find the priestess. She found the body being cleaned, hands clinging to a shiny, pink jewel. Sei transported herself and the priestess's soul to the "white world," which is what people saw when near death or when clinically dead.

"You are a Shinigami, no?" the priestess asked calmly, but her eyes were blazing with anger. Sei reckoned her soul to be tortured enough already, but an order was an order.

"Yes, I am. Look, I'm here for your soul, so at least humor me and pretend to be scared while I rip the damn light from you," Sei begged, getting tired of getting the "tough" people who were not scared of her.

"Kikyo is my name." the priestess said.

"Well, lose it, because you won't be needing it anymore." Sei advised before hashing the woman's chest and taking the soul back to her boss in the dark, muggy underworld.

"I send you out for one, you bring back zero. Then I send you out for two and you bring me back one…two times in a row you have defied me, Sei." The mountainous demon warned, his fangs bearing at Sei.

"Look, the first guy wasn't even mine to begin with and the half-demon was put under a sleeping spell! At least I got the priestess, now shut your face!" Sei barked back, tossing the white ball of light at the demon, which gobbled it up for safekeeping.

"You're out of line," he said.

"And you're overweight. Shut up." Sei yawned in reply, walking away to rest.

Sei finished sleeping and got dressed for another day at work. The boss sent her out again, she reaped a few souls, ate a few meals and played a few pranks. She had found a demon man, who looked awfully familiar to her, but that didn't matter. She cloaked her appearance, ran by him and hacked a chunk out of the fluffy cloak he wore on his shoulder. It was funny to her and he was immediately on the defense, but he could not see her. What seemed like years to those of the living world felt like days and hours to Sei and the other Shinigami.

"The soul of the priestess…it has disappeared." The boss demon stated.

"I am NOT getting it." The demon man, Set, growled in return.

"Don't look at me." Sei insisted, spinning her scythe in a circle with one hand.

"Set and Sei, the Shinigami of Force and Restraint…more like laziness and disobedience. Sei, there is a reason for this disappearance, since this was originally your mission, go see what has caused this." The boss demon growled.

"Yeah, yeah, snarl, growl, bark…you shouldn't be the soul-keeper, you're the unappreciative asshole." Sei exhaled, disappearing into her portal and appearing where she sensed the priestess's soul. When souls would escape the keeper, they would roam the Earth in different forms, depending on the circumstances.

"Doo, dah, doo, doo…oh, what's this?" Sei whispered, hiding in the shadows and seeing a young human girl walking by cautiously, looking around worriedly. Sei could hear her erratic breathing and speeding heartbeat.

"Is someone there?" the girl asked, her voice fading a bit. Sei remained hidden and frowned. She had made not a noise, but the girl could sense her? Sei focused her eyes and saw the familiar pink glow of the priestess's soul surrounding the young girl.

"Um…whatever," the human girl whispered as she ran away. Sei exhaled as she jumped into the portal back to the underworld.

"Reincarnated into some random girl." Sei announced.

"Congratulations to the lucky parents." Her boss said sarcastically.

"Oh, no, she was teenage, wondering around the forest alone," Sei said. She saw her boss's eyes gleam with thought.

"How is that possible? Reincarnation happens at birth. How can the appearance of a teenager summon a soul from my belly?" he asked.

"I don't know. Is there anyway I can summon some noodles from that belly? I'm hungry." Sei asked back.

"Hm, I am going to ask the gate keeper, stand guard here." The demon ordered as he disappeared without a trace. Sei groaned as she crossed her arms, still holding her scythe in her hand. She pouted until he returned.

"She said that only if someone who has the soul in the future can call it forth when coming back in time, otherwise, the girl would be a motionless body."

"So she's from the future. She was wearing weird clothes, so it makes sense, I guess." Sei replied.

"Sei, take a break, I'll send Set in to track her down." The boss ordered tiredly.

Sei took her break as usual and was glad that the boss hadn't bothered her for another mission. He was finally using one of the other countless reapers to grab up souls. She would play thought-provoking games with other Shinigami and ended up passing what felt like a few hours.

"Sei!" a roar echoed.

"I can't hear you!" Sei yelled back, ending her game with another reaper and grabbing her scythe, walking down the stone corridor and into the large room where the boss sat.

"The half-demon just hacked off his older brother's arm…one of them will probably die. Fetch the loser's soul."

"Yeah," Sei exhaled, doing what she felt like she had been doing all her life. She was about to jump into the portal when the boss reached out and grabbed her with his dragon-like claws.

"They are in the world between worlds…take the gate." He said.

"Someone better die if I'm going through all of this." She exhaled, walking down another dark corridor. She found the huge staircase engraved in the rocks and walked down them, finding the guard.

"Fetching souls, eh?" he asked, scratching his blue skin with a claw.

"Feh, just let me through," Sei groaned. He stepped aside and opened the door. Sei immediately jumped into the bright light and found herself free-falling from the sky. She saw the giant skeleton remains of a once great beast and felt like she had seen it somewhere before. She landed on a rock and jumped onto the armor, climbing up and staying hidden. She saw the giant white dog, sitting on he even bigger skeleton's shoulder, growling and glaring down at the half-demon from back then. She saw the girl and a little green man, as well.

"Die!" the half-demon shouted, jumping at the dog, which roared in reply. Sei found herself getting giddy and excited. Extracting demon souls was much more fun than taking a human's. Much more fun and she didn't have far to go to take it back. Just knock, knock, knock on Hell's door, basically.

"Huh?" Sei gasped when the dog transformed into a ball of light, flying away.

"No, damn it, come back!" Sei hissed as she flew after him while keeping herself hidden. She flew after the white orb like her life depended on it.

"Hm?" the human girl hummed, looking around curiously after being stricken with a cold chill.

"What is it?" the half-demon asked.

"Nothing." She replied, unsure of what it was.

Sei lost sight of the wounded dog demon and soon lost interest when the smell of food entered her nostrils. She snuck into the village and hoped on top of the hut that was producing food for paying customers. Sei pulled her shredded hood up and hooked her scythe through the chain on her waist on her back. She loomed over the hole in the hut and looked up in the sky. The sun was just rising. She looked down in the hole and saw the boiling noodles ready to be fed.

"Alright! I've been hungry for some good homemade noodles!" she cheered quietly. Sei grabbed the chain hooked to her right wrist and threw it down, grasping the handle of the kettle and pulling it up quietly. She sat on the roof, ate a lot of them before settling the pot back down over the fire and disappearing off the roof. Sei then returned home and explained her failure.

"Sei, the brothers are at it again…go get the loser's soul." The boss demanded calmly. The girl reaper nodded and jumped into the world of the living. She hid in the trees and watched as the half-demon, whose name she caught, Inuyasha, swung his blade blindly, unleashing the devastating attack that hit his older brother with powerful vigor.

"Bullseye…he's mine, now," Sei chuckled under her breath. She saw his soul disappear, along with his body entirely.

"Damn it all." Sei groaned, flying away and chasing his aura, not knowing her presence was noticed by Kagome once again. Sei lost the demon lord, again, and decided to terrorize some villagers to get her anger vented out. As she was walking out of the town at sunrise, she saw a little girl skipping by her, humming a happy little tune. Her hands smelled of water and fish and…dog.

"Oh fun, thanks little girl," Sei chuckled, vanishing in thin air and reappearing in the shadows in front of the resting dog demon.

"Why do you keep following me? Do you wish to be slain?" he asked coldly, opening his eyes and staring directly at Sei, who panicked slightly. He wasn't near death anymore and now he could see her…against Shinigami policies.

"Just making sure you're not dead." Sei replied, getting ready to walk away. She turned around and heard his arrogant snort before flying away, into the portal and back in the underworld once more.

"Is your new policy to fail in every way possible?" the boss demon howled as he refrained from striking Sei.

"Demons heal fast! You should know that!" Sei barked back defensively.

"He saw you when he was no longer dying! That is not supposed to happen! Now, the little girl is being mauled by wolves…do you think you can handle a little human girl's soul?"

"Man, shut up." Sei growled, jumping through her portal once more and remembering the happy little girl, thinking that she was now dead. She reappeared next to the girl's lifeless and beat-up body.

"Who…are you?" the little girl asked once she was taken from her body and into the white world.

"I'm a Shinigami," Sei answered back, gripping her scythe with both hands.

"I'm Rin. Can you help me find my friend? He's really tall with really pretty hair and…there he is!" Rin cheered. Sei exhaled, thinking the girl was hallucinating. Another thing a lot of people did in the white world was hallucinate. They would end up thinking they were seeing already-dead family members and friends.

"Drop your weapon and step away from her…now." A cold voice ordered. Sei turned her head and stared back into those cold, golden eyes. What in the Hell was he doing here? And how did he get here?

"Look, I take orders from one demon and one demon only and he holds a whole lot more over my head than you do," Sei announced, realizing they had returned to the forest. The demon man swung his sword, which Sei dodged out of reflex and saw him kill the messengers, which were the creatures that alerted her boss of a death. Rin's heart began beating and Sei found herself returning home defeated once more.

"You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! A little human girl fought you off?" the boss demon bellowed.

"No! Her dog demon friend had a sword that allowed him to save her!" Sei argued back.

"And if you would've done your job right, we would have his soul and hers! You are a complete and utter failure!"

"Go suck a big one! I don't see your fat ass doing anything except eating!" Sei hollered angrily, her chains rattling as she shook her arms and stepped forward.

"I eat the souls that my reapers are supposed to bring back to me! Do your job and I'll do mine!"

"You are what you eat, so it's no wonder you're a dick. I'm going to rest." Sei retorted calmly as she disappeared in the shadows.

Sei lay in her chambers and threw a small red ball in the air, catching it with one hand and repeating the motion. She was thinking about how lately, her soul reaping skills had been sucking big time. She glanced at her scythe, which hung on her wall proudly. It had been a long time since its blade had tasted real blood. Hell, it had been a long time since she had tasted real blood, too.

"Sei, boss wants a word," a voice chirped from outside her door. She rolled her eyes and sat up, grabbing her scythe and walking down the long corridor, taking her time and wondering what was going to happen to her.

"Sei, although you have failed me many times, I am willing to give you another chance," the boss demon grumbled.

"Gee, you're so kind," Sei retorted sarcastically.

"You are to fetch me a few hundred souls, human and demon alike, to make up for your failures. Don't come back until you do."

"Fun." Sei said with a smirk. She wondered if that was his way of saying, "Kill someone if you have to." She slashed open a portal and jumped in, already making up a hit list.


	2. Chapter 2

Angel of Death Has Come

Sei walked through the forest, waving her scythe back and forth on the ground, chopping whatever was lying on the path. She had three souls and she kept them inside her scythe, which was specially designed to do so. Before her boss, the soul keeper, was around, it was the Shinigami's job to not only retrieve souls, but to lead them through the underworld and help them to the place where they will be judged. Now they remained in the belly of the soul keeper, awaiting possible reincarnation or judgment.

"Hm?" Sei stopped walking when a faint scent of incense entered her nose. Where there was incense, there was praying and usually, there were wandering souls of the earthbound spirits. She walked until the incense was terribly strong to her sensitive nose. She found a temple where the incense was coming from, but she stopped right before stepping onto the property. There were spells to keep her kind out. It was meant to be a safe-haven for wandering souls that had no desire to be judged or leave Earth.

"Damn it." Sei growled when her eyes spotted numerous souls floating around aimlessly. She began walking up through the mountains, hearing a rumor of a demon slayer's village being hidden up in the mountains. She figured human and demon souls alike were floating around there. Her chains rattled and clanged with every step she took. She held her scythe with one hand and she rested the blade on her shoulder. Sei saw a light and quickly swiped it, absorbing the soul into her blade.

"Four." She said to herself, continuing her journey. She couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed walking around. She hadn't always been a Shinigami, she was once a carefree demon who was only a child when she experienced death.

Flashback…

A little demon girl ran through the tall grass that almost covered her entirely. She was a short little girl. She stopped running when she heard a rustle not too far from where she stood. She stopped running and looked around, lively red eyes scanning the grass. Then, she felt something sharp plow through her chest. The next thing she knew was waking up in her chambers in the underworld and someone telling her she had died and was saved to replace the Shinigami she had killed.

Back to the Beginning…

"I don't remember killing anyone. I was a child." Sei whispered under her breath. She wished she had remembered her name that was given to her at birth. Her real name, not the name of the Shinigami she had allegedly killed. Sei looked up and saw something she did not expect to ever see. Someone dressed in a baboon outfit. She figured it was a man, considering the height at which he stood. He stared at her quietly, making no sudden movements.

"Ah, the Shinigami has arrived," he said, his deep voice striking Sei oddly. She felt like she knew this man, but though her memory sucked, she definitely would've remembered meeting a man dressed as a white baboon.

"Do I know you?" Sei asked, holding her blade with both hands. She stood still and watched carefully as the cloaked man walked by her, making no sudden movement. He walked a few steps behind her and stopped to make a comment.

"You don't remember?" he finally asked, amusement hinted in his tone. Again, his voice caused her to stop and think harder. Where? Where? Where had she met this monkey man before? She turned around, but he had already disappeared. She heard distant screams and explosions from further up in the mountains. Sei took one giant leap and saw the fortress of a village on fire, countless demons flying around and attacking the defenseless village. Sei swung her blade and killed a demon, trying to build up equal amounts of souls on both sides.

"Damn, you guys cleaned house," Sei chuckled, landing in the middle of the town of death. She killed a few more demons, her blade and chains swinging with her every movement. Once she felt she had plenty of souls to take, she stamped her scythe in the ground, transferring all the souls to the white world. She saw each human, woman, man and child. She saw each demon, as well. She absorbed them into her scythe and smirked.

"Heh, thanks mysterious monkey man," Sei said to herself, jumping out of the village and down the mountain. She continued leaping and found a child who had drowned in the nearby river. She took the small boy's soul as well, at least having the dignity to pull his body from the river for someone to find.

"Ooh, blood, blood, blood! I smell blooooood!" Sei sang as she jumped away, heading for the source of blood. She noticed the sun was just getting ready to set behind the horizon and smirked. Nighttime was always the most amusing time to drag someone to Hell. She ran up a mountainous terrain, finding herself approaching a large castle. Sei sped up when she heard the bloodcurdling screams of dying men. The smell of wolves and blood entered her nostrils. Sei leapt over the rocks and landed on the outer wall, seeing the dead bodies spilled on the castle grounds. Sei saw a woman turn around and walk back into the castle, closing her fan as she did so.

"Hm…oh well. Alright souls of the wolf tribe, you're coming with me." Sei announced in the white world where all of their souls floating, taking form of their former bodies. They said nothing, but Sei could tell that they were angry and sad. After sucking in their souls with her blade, Sei ripped a portal and jumped through it.

"You have returned?" her boss asked curiously. Sei released the numerous souls of humans and demons, watching them being sucked in by her boss. The demon settled down with a pleasing grin on his monstrous face.

"You have done well, Sei. I'm switching your position, though. You are going to roam the Earth and bring me back whatever you find."

"Sounds like an ass load of fun. Bye." Sei yawned, returning to Earth and scratching her head with her free hand.

"You, Shinigami," a familiar voice called out. Sei frowned when she realized it was now daylight. When she left it was dark. It was the perfect example of how time flies in Hell. Sei turned around and froze. It was the priestess who died years ago, but she looked as if she hadn't aged a day.

"Kikyo, if I remember correctly," Sei replied calmly, only to take a fighting stance when Kikyo aimed an arrow at her, glaring heatedly.

"Tell me, did you ever end up taking the soul of the dying bandit in the cave fifty years ago?" Kikyo asked, anger hinted in her voice and definitely her eyes.

"I don't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning, let alone fifty years ago. Be more specific." Sei growled in return.

"The bandit who was severely burned and then supposedly let demons eat his soul in return for mobility, is it true?"

"Ohhh that guy…yeah, I didn't get his soul. Oops."

"If you would have done your job, none of this would have happened!" Kikyo shouted, firing the arrow. Sei jumped out of the way and landed on the ground. She stamped her staff and took Kikyo to the white world where countless chains flew out of nowhere and restrained the priestess.

"Bitch, I will drag you straight back to Hell if you try that again! Don't fuck with me!" Sei barked, mostly infuriated that a clay doll that could walk and talk told her that she didn't do her job right.

"Heh, you cannot take me if I am already dead. Even I know that." Kikyo replied with a smirk, only for Sei to reappear right in front of her and press her blade to the priestess's neck.

"That doesn't mean I can't kill you. I am a Shinigami, I can kill what is already dead if I wish it." Sei replied darkly, finally backing away and taking Kikyo back to Earth and releasing her of the chains. Kikyo fell to her knees, feeling the weakness overcome her. Sei's blade sucked the souls out of her fake body when the scythe touched her neck.

"Thanks for the souls." Sei chirped as she disappeared in the shadows of the trees. Sei skipped through the trees, a bored expression playing about her face. She had cloaked herself so that no one could see her, but if she made a loud noise, they could hear her, almost like she was a ghost. She waltzed into a small little village and stole some food, holding back laughter when the people stared with disbelief and fear at the floating bowl and moving chopsticks.

"Ghost! Ahhh! We're haunted!" a woman screamed, picking up her toddler son and running out of the hut with her husband as well.

"Hahahaha! Oooooh!" Sei called out teasingly as she finished eating the food. As she walked out of the hut, her chains dragged along the floor. Sei had to admit, if she was human and heard something invisible walking around, she'd piss herself too. As she exited the hut, she was met with a young monk.

"Yes, there is definitely a demonic spirit lingering here," he said, pulling sutras out of his robes.

"Shit." Sei grumbled. She waved her left arm and grasped the monk's arms with her chains, sending him flying the other way.

"Miroku!" the girl called out. Sei shook her head. She kept running into these people on accident.

"I can hear it!" Inuyasha called out, swiping his sword at Sei, who swung her leg, that chain wrapping around Inuyasha's ankle. Sei pulled his foot out from underneath him and sent him flying as well. Kagome whipped out an arrow and aimed it directly at Sei, who was now convinced that the universe was out to get her. Kagome fired the arrow, but missed Sei, who decided to make a run for it.

"I think it's gone," Kagome panted when Miroku finally limped up.

"Yes. I don't sense it anymore." He replied.

"Are you guys alright?" another woman called from the air. Sei flew right by her and frowned. She was wearing demon slayer armor.

"But the demon slayers were slaughtered…hm, I don't remember seeing her there. Oh well." Sei said after pausing for a moment to get a better look. She turned around and stopped when she saw Set standing in front of her, his dark brown hair matted and dirty and red eyes staring back at her. He was a half-demon before becoming a Shinigami, which is why he looked the less frightening of the two.

"What?" Sei asked him.

"The boss said for you to stay in this village. Something is coming." Set stated before walking away and disappearing.

"Yeah, stay in the village with the monk and priestess who can kill you, Sei. It's alright, you'll be fine." Sei grumbled under her breath as she turned back around, walking towards the village once more. She jumped up on a roof and sat there, resting and waiting for something to happen. She crossed her legs and rested her scythe in her lap, propping her elbows up on her legs and resting her chin on her fists.

"This is lame." Sei exhaled when she woke up, seeing the sun setting once more. She blinked when she saw a small child walking into the village with a mirror in her hands. Even better, she was white…like a ghost, but Sei knew better. She watched as the souls of the villagers exited their homes and were absorbed into the mirror.

"Hot damn, I need to get me one of those," Sei chuckled as she stood up, but she waited when she saw a woman walk up to the girl.

"Have you finished, Kanna?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Kagura." The void child answered, turning her head and staring directly at Sei.

"What is it?" Kagura asked, looking up as well, but her eyes searched the sky. Sei stared back at the child and waited to be called out, but Kanna walked away, being followed by Kagura, who still searched the sky cautiously.

"Can everybody see me or what?" Sei growled, watching as the woman summoned the soulless villagers with their sharp tools in hand with the fan she held. Sei felt immediate anger towards her. It was one thing to steal the souls of the sleeping, but then to use their bodies as tools afterwards? Unnecessary.

"What am I supposed to do? Steal the souls?" Sei asked curiously as she jumped off the roof. Just as she landed, Inuyasha and Miroku went running by her, trying to fight off the villagers without hurting them.

"Whoa! Cold chill!" Miroku called out frantically when he ran by Sei.

"Yeah, that was weird!" Inuyasha agreed, punching a man in the face. Sei swung her arm and caught a woman's leg with the chain, pulling her to the ground to help out the outnumbered men. Sei ran after Kanna, who had disappeared inside a large building.

"Eh? Whoa!" Sei screamed out when the demon slayer woman came flying backwards at her. Though Sei couldn't be killed, she could be injured and she hated getting injured. She saw the priestess's soul being sucked from Kagome's body, but a piece remained inside the girl.

"Alright, this is pissed me off long enough!" Sei announced, lowering her cloaking and being seen by all who cared.

"Who are you?" Kagura asked with a scowl. Sei raised her scythe, chains rattling and darkness making her appearance bigger.

"Your worst nightmare!" Sei replied, slashing at the child and nicking her sleeve, but Kagura pulled her to safety.

"Huh? Wha-what is that?" Inuyasha stuttered to Miroku, pointing at Kagura, who was carrying Kanna and then the crazed Sei with a scythe chasing after them hurriedly.

"Give me all the souls and I just might forget about you!" Sei called out, slashing at Kagura's back and striking her, but not killing her.

"Screw you!" Kagura hollered back.

"Don't make me screw you with my scythe!" Sei retorted angrily, but she stopped running when the dark cloud of purple appeared, showing the baboon man.

"You again? Is this some kind of prank my boss put you people up to?" Sei asked with frustration, still holding her scythe in the offensive.

"Heh, so we meet once more? I must say, this is getting rather interesting." The dark man chuckled.

"If you mean interesting as annoying, then I would agree." Sei retorted.

"Naraku! You bastard! Die!" Inuyasha's angered voice roared as he sent out the wind scar, only for it to bounce off the barrier.

"Is this what you're looking for, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked, opening his hand and in his palm sat the almost completed jewel. Sei stared at it with amazement as she lowered her scythe. She had heard rumors about the Shikon no Tama and it was coveted by many reapers for the mere fact it was a rarity for something made of souls to be so powerful.

"Yeah, and I want you dead! So stand still!" Inuyasha ordered, sending out another wave.

"Haha, if anyone should be blamed for me getting most of the pieces, it's Kikyo. She is the one who gave me Kagome's portion of the shards." Naraku explained.

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha hollered.

"Look, monkey boy, I don't know how you got that, but it's mine, along with all the souls in your bastard child's mirror! Don't make me get angry!" Sei called out offensively as she walked towards Naraku, who smirked at her, his crimson red eyes watching her.

"You wish to have it?" he asked.

"No, I just said I wanted it just to fuck with you. Yes I want it and I will have it, even if that means taking your arm with me." Sei growled irritably.

"Well then, come," but he was cut off by Kanna sucking in the wind scar and firing it back at Inuyasha. Sei immediately knew he was a dead man, but first things first. She went to hack Kanna in half, but a purification arrow hit the mirror next, releasing the souls back to their bodies. Sei stopped her attack and made sure all the souls returned to their bodies. The reason she wanted the mirror was that it's fine if someone else stole them, but once they were released, she couldn't touch them.

"Damn it all." Sei growled when she turned to get the Shikon, only for Naraku to laugh and disappear. Sei turned her head back to the frantic screaming of Kagome, who was calling out Inuyasha's name, but he was unconscious and on the verge of death. Sei made her way to him slowly, making sure everyone noticed her.

"Who…who are you?" Kagome sobbed when she saw Sei.

"I've come to take him. I don't have to answer to you." Sei replied, pointing at Inuyasha. Kagome flung herself on his body and cried even louder.

"No! No I won't let you! He won't die!" Kagome shouted. Sei rested her scythe on her shoulder and placed her hand on her face, slowly bringing it down and wiping off the sweat with her glove, as well as showing her utter annoyance.

"Move bitch, a job is a job," Sei answered with a growl, pulling Kagome off Inuyasha with her chain and getting ready to swipe down, but Kagome waved her arm and put up a barrier.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fuck meeeee!" Sei screamed out as she was surrounded in blue flames that seemed to be purifying her. She danced around while putting out all of the flames. Kagome gulped. Now the reaper was angry.

"Alright…if he can make it through tomorrow, I won't take him, but if he stops breathing, he's mine." Sei growled through gritted fangs. Kagome nodded in agreement and watched as the reaper disappeared in the shadows of the night.

The next day, Sei watched as the little fox demon hopped out of the hut to get some water for his injured comrades. The grim reaper saw the fading soul of Inuyasha, but it wasn't getting any better or worse, which meant he was stabilizing. The demon slayer girl was in pain, but she wasn't going to die. Then Sei saw the soul collectors. They used to be a Shinigami's partner in soul reaping, but they were let loose a long time ago to be free while the Shinigami were kept. They were full of souls, but it was definitely against Shinigami law to kill one of the docile creatures.

"Man, this is just straight irritating me." Sei hissed as she punched the tree trunk. Sei took a deep breath and watched as Inuyasha limped out of the hut, using his sword as a third leg. He looked like a walking corpse. For the first time, he sensed her and stared at her cautiously, as if knowing she was there for his soul. Sei smiled and waved at him, as if to say, "I'll be waiting." Inuyasha snorted and continued on his way. Sei knew the priestess was waiting for him and decided to stay put. It was a little while longer before Kagome showed up, screaming when Inuyasha was gone. She ran out of the hut and saw Sei chilling underneath a tree.

"Where is he? What have you done to him?" Kagome fumed, knowing her friend hadn't died just yet. Sei opened one eye and smirked.

"I'm just waiting. Go find him yourself. He went with some soul collectors." Sei answered lazily.

"Kikyo," Kagome muttered, slight anger flashing in her eyes.

"Haha, yeah, her too," Sei pushed on, seeing the jealousy raging in Kagome's soul. The human girl quickly stood up and turned around, seeing the injured dog-demon limping back towards her.

"Aaww, he's still alive? I swear, the universe just loooooves to tease me." Sei stated out loud, seeing Kagome's fists trembling. The human girl stormed over to Inuyasha, who had collapsed to take a rest.

"Where have you been, stupid?" Kagome asked dangerously as she grabbed his hair.

"I, uh, nowhere." Inuyasha replied sadly.

"You went to see Kikyo, didn't you?" Kagome asked as Miroku and Shippo arrived. Inuyasha looked down and didn't answer.

"Did he fuck her?" Sei asked teasingly. Again, Inuyasha let out a huge sigh and looked away.

"Ahhhahaha! He totally did!" Sei laughed.

"Shut up!" Kagome yelled at her.

"Kagome, who are you yelling at?" Miroku asked curiously. Kagome blinked and turned her head, seeing Sei waving and smiling and being very visible.

"You can't see her?" Kagome asked Miroku.

"See who?" Shippo asked.

"Haha, fun times." Sei giggled as she disappeared. She was having loads of fun, now.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey Lady

Sei walked towards Inuyasha's lifeless body. He was fighting a giant demon with a spider marking on its back when the demon bit his blade in half and slashed open Inuyasha's already severely injured body. Even a full-fledged demon would've been brought to his knees, so it was no surprise Inuyasha went down so easily. Sei towered over his body, which was turned on his stomach, but his face was turned sideways, allowing his inert eyes to stare out blankly. The reaper could see the faintest hint of surprise in them, as if his last thought was, "No fucking way!"

"No! Stay away from him!" Kagome shouted when she saw the Shinigami standing next to Inuyasha's body.

"Who are you yelling at, wench? Pay attention to me!" the enraged demon shouted, pounding the ground and snarling at the human girl.

"Well, a deal is a deal. His soul is mine." Sei stated under her breath as she raised her blade in the air.

"Filthy vermin!" Inuyasha's roar echoed as he jumped up, seeing Sei and slashing her arm off before flying at the other giant demon and hacking his arm off as well. Kagome held her breath with shock and heard Sei's cry of pain, followed by Goshinki, the demon's, roar of agony.

"Sssss…son of a bitch!" Sei hissed as she glared at Inuyasha, who was a bit preoccupied with the other armless demon at the moment. Kagome glanced back at Sei, who bent forward, picked up her severed arm and stuck it back on like it was just meant to be that way. Sei flexed her arm and shook it a bit before picking up her scythe and waiting for someone to die.

"Half-breed!" Goshinki roared before he was hacked to pieces by Inuyasha. Sei noticed the half demon had transformed, which explained his quick movements and insane power. Sei reaped Goshinki's soul and growled with frustration when she realized it was just a portion of a soul. It meant nothing without the rest of the soul. She released it and disappeared, knowing very well that Demon Inuyasha wouldn't kill his friends…yet. He still had control over his soul for now.

Sei noticed that she was getting used to the slower hours of the living world and it was agonizing. She had hours of nothing to do except stalk souls and people. The sun was setting and Sei was feeling her powers become stronger. Now she had energy to spend, but nothing to spend it on. She kept walking, feeling the cool breeze brushing over her. The next thing she knew was being hacked in half.

"Hmph. Barely worth the effort." Sesshomaru stated, lowering his hand and walking away…until he heard a groan.

"Aahh, man, unnecessary! Do you have any idea how much this stings?" Sei barked as the top half of her body turned over using her arms and pulled her legs towards her. She literally pulled herself together and stood up, nothing indicating the attack. Even her clothes didn't show the slash.

"What are you?" Sesshmaru asked.

"Ah, you're one of those 'kill first, ask questions later' assholes. Well, you can't really get answers if they're dead, can you? Fortunately, I can't die, as you can tell." Sei explained haughtily, tapping her scythe's blade on the ground, chains rattling with her movements. Sesshomaru turned his entire body towards her and pulled his sword from its sheath.

"I see, you are not of this world," he stated.

"Nope." Sei chirped.

"Then this should work a little more efficiently!" Sesshomaru snarled as he leapt at Sei, swinging his blade at her chest. Sei saw the heavenly blue glow and swung her blade to block his. Even with one arm, he was able to push Sei back, who dug her boots into the ground and angled her scythe, ripping the demon lord's only arm open before jumping back.

"Haha, yeah, how'd that work for you?" Sei asked arrogantly. Sesshomaru glared icily before leaping back at her, saying nothing and letting his Tenseiga do the talking for him. Sei blocked with the staff part of her scythe and swung the blade at the demon lord once more, but this time she missed as he flipped backwards to dodge her attack.

"Damn, someone's eager to die! May I ask what the hell is your problem?" Sei shouted, swiping away at Sesshomaru and trying to catch him with her chains, but he remained evasive and quick.

"No one crosses me and lives to tell about it!"

"Oh? Is that why Inuyasha is still breathing?" Sei asked, only to have her scythe swiped from her grasp and her body being slammed back against a tree, the blade pressed to her neck.

"Ooh! Aahahahahahaha! Someone's REALLY pissed off now! Wooo!" Sei laughed warmly as Sesshomaru glared down at her. He had never met anyone who laughed, actually honestly laughed, in the face of death.

"Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked the laughing reaper, who wiped away a tear from her eye before slapping her knee. She then calmed herself a bit before answering the dog demon in front of her.

"The name is Sei." She stated smoothly as she stared up at him with her lifeless red eyes. Even when excited, her eyes looked like those of the dead.

"What is your purpose here, demon?" Sesshomaru quizzed, pressing the blade even harder against her neck. She giggled at him a bit before replying.

"My purpose here was ended a long time ago." She answered, fading away as the wind blew. Sesshomaru turned around and saw her scythe had disappeared as well. He sheathed his sword and looked up into the sky, swearing he could still hear the sounds of her chains.

"Such a strange woman." He said quietly before walking back to his followers.

Sei rested next to a small pond. She could not be killed, but the injuries still felt like injuries. She removed her cloak and the clothes underneath, glancing at the still-healing scars of her recent attacks. The slash mark on her upper right arm where Inuyasha had hacked her arm off was still visible on her pale skin and the one that Sesshomaru caused around her waist was still red and bleeding slightly. She then looked at the one on her chest, staring at the one scar that never healed. It was the wound that ended her life. She then felt a sting come from the injury around her waist.

"Damn, he came out of nowhere. Sneaky little doggy." Sei said to herself as she lowered herself into the water to wash off dirt and other random particles from her skin. Again, she didn't need to do it, she wasn't really alive, but the more time she spent on Earth, the more she felt the need to do what other living beings did. Sei scrubbed the filth from her skin and decided to work on her hair as well. Then she figured her clothes were dirty and pulled them in with her.

"Oh…crap. I don't have any extra clothes." She grumbled after getting out of the water with her clothes. She exhaled and cloaked herself. Now she was naked, but invisible. She hung her clothing on the lowest tree branch and sat down, resting quietly.

The next morning, Sei woke up to the sound of a little girl singing and the footprints of something big. Sei opened her eyes and froze entirely. It was the little girl that Sesshomaru saved from Sei's scythe. Even better Sesshomaru was also there, staring at Sei's hanging clothes intensely.

"My lord, do these clothes belong to someone you know?" the little green imp asked as he looked up at the clothes as well. Sesshomaru didn't answer his advisor. The demon reached up and grabbed the first article of clothing that hung in front of him. Sei grimaced silently. He pulled her pants from the branch and walked away like he hadn't just done that. Jaken and Rin glanced at one another, casting questioning looks before following their lord without a word being said.

"My pants…he took my pants. Shrewd move, dog-breath." Sei growled as she put on the rest of her clothes, tying her shredded cloak together with the chain that went around her waist. Sei picked up her scythe and chased after Sesshomaru to get her pants back. She had a feeling he took them, knowing she would want them back.

"What a horny bastard! Stealing my pants! What the hell?" Sei grumbled under her breath, finally catching up with the demon lord and his group.

"Alright, give me my pants back before I put in a good word or five to send your soul straight to the belly of the beast!" Sei threatened as she landed in front of Sesshomaru.

"Tell me what you are." He demanded back. Sei's jaw tightened with irritability. She didn't really like to tell anyone "what" she was until they were dying or dead.

"No." Sei replied simply.

"I'm sure you can find another pair elsewhere." Sesshomaru stated as he began walking past her, but Sei ran after Rin and scooped the girl up, pressing her scythe against Rin's neck and glaring at Sesshomaru.

"Put the girl down." Sesshomaru ordered.

"Give me my pants, first." Sei insisted, standing her ground and not moving an inch.

"No." Sesshomaru said back.

"Oh, then, I'm sure you can find another girl elsewhere." Sei retorted, knowing that mocking the demon lord would only anger him even more, but he wouldn't dare attack her while she held Rin.

"You're willing to go through all of this just for a pair of pants?" Sesshomaru asked as he drew his sword.

"Holy shit! I could be asking you the same thing, pants thief! You stole them!" Sei shouted back defiantly. Sesshomaru tossed her pants to her by flinging them from his two-headed dragon demon's back with his blade.

"CHILD-ABUSE THROW!" Sei bellowed as she hurled Rin as far as she could, catching her pants, laughing wildly as she disappeared, but not before watching the dog demon skillfully catch Rin, calming her down before setting her down on the ground. He looked pissed, but Sei had disappeared again. Sesshomaru sighed slightly with irritability. There went his plan to kill her.

After pulling her pants on and rearranging her chains around her limbs, Sei decided to go back to the underworld. She was getting too annoyed with the living, partly because she couldn't be a part of it. Sei gave whatever souls she had to her boss and turned around, heading back to her chambers.

"What is the problem, Sei?" Her boss's deep growl called to her.

"Nothing. Just bored." Sei answered quietly.

"Do not envy the living. If anything, they are the ones who are truly cursed."

"Yeah." She replied gloomily as she disappeared from sight.

Sei sat on the floor of her room that was lit with a few paper lamps. She tossed her red ball into the air and caught it when it fell back down. Sei tossed it up too hard and it hit the ceiling, ricocheting from the wall and hitting her in the forehead.

"Ow. Stupid ball." She mumbled, picking it up and returning to her antics.

"Sei, the boss wants to see you." Someone called from her door.

"Figures. Right when I'm in the middle of something." Sei replied, grabbing her scythe and walking down to the boss's residence. When Sei arrived there, she saw a demon woman, a very beautiful woman standing there and talking to the boss. She had on rich, purple robes and a unique stone hanging around her neck. She also had long, silvery white hair and a crescent moon on her forehead and piercing golden eyes.

"Have we met?" Sei asked the woman, who smirked knowingly as she cuddled the fur that draped around her arms.

"I believe you've met my son, Sesshomaru." The woman answered proudly. Sei felt her face fall into an instant frown.

"Oh yeah, the pants thief." Sei growled with boredom and disgust. She saw slight annoyance flicker in the demon woman's eyes, but the woman then smirked and shrugged it off.

"I have a task for you, Shinigami Sei." The woman finally announced.

"Do I get to kill your son for stealing my pants?" Sei asked with boredom and nothing but sarcasm drenched that question. Again, the dog demon woman's right eye twitched slightly as she inhaled sharply through her nose, but she remained calm, something Sei noticed that Sesshomaru did. Remain calm…until pissed off.

"Now why would I send out someone to kill my own son?" the woman asked.

"Because he's a dick." Sei answered honestly. The woman then began laughing knowingly.

"Though that may be, I do not wish death upon my own flesh and blood. I have something less bloody for you, Sei."

"Damn. Do I get to decline?" Sei asked her boss, who glared silently. Sei figured that meant "No." The reaper sighed and tapped her blade on her shoulder, patiently waiting for whatever it is she had to be assigned to.

"I want you to watch after this little hellhound pup." The woman announced, holding the stone on her neck and opening a meidou hole. Sei watched as a tiny black puppy-like monster fell onto the floor, panting innocently and curiously. It didn't look solid, it looked like it was made out of shadows and it had no eyes, just jagged markings where its eyes should be.

"Really?" Sei asked with disappointment, watching as the shadow puppy waltzed over to her and sat down, wagging his tail.

"Sei, just do as you're told." The boss ordered. Sei used her blade and stuck it through the back of the hellhound's neck, knowing very well it wouldn't hurt it at all. She raised the pup up and stared at it with nothing but disgust and annoyance.

"And I need to do this because?" Sei whined as she leaned back, dodging a lick from the ghostly puppy.

"Because if you don't, there will be Hell to pay." The boss retorted.

"Har, har, you made a funny. So what do I do with it?" she asked.

"Just watch him. He eats souls; so if you find any, give him some. I'll be back to get him." And just at those words, the demon woman briskly walked away, a few of her own guards following.

"Who the hell was that?" Sei asked as she set the pup down.

"That was the gatekeeper of Hell and watcher of the meidou."

"Oh…oops."

Sei decided to take the hellhound to Earth and feed it a few souls. She began walking and heard the pup yipping curiously as he chased the chains attached to Sei. The reaper groaned as she scratched her head. She saw a soul floating by and grabbed it, getting ready to feed it to the puppy, but as she turned, the ghost pup jumped up and snatched it from her hand, eating it happily.

"Stupid." Sei growled at it as she continued walking. The immediate scent of blood made her stop and snap her head in the direction it was coming from. Sei grinned and took off running, hearing the hellhound bark after her worriedly. She didn't care. There was an immense amount of blood coming from a nearby village and there were likely to be souls, ready for the taking. She arrived and saw the group of men, who looked to be bandits, completely slaughtered. She reaped their souls and continued following the blood, finding more bodies and souls. She arrived to the scene where Demon Inuyasha stood, facing his older brother and growling dangerously.

"You don't even know who you are." Sesshomaru said as he gripped a sword in his hand. Sei frowned. She knew that wasn't the sword he had the other night. Tenseiga was still sheathed on his hip. She recognized the scent of the sword as the demon that Inuyasha hacked to pieces a little while ago. Goshinki, if Sei remembered correctly. She watched as Inuyasha lunged at his brother, only to be repelled and cut up just by the mere force of Sesshomaru's new sword. He didn't even have to swing it to cause damage.

"On your knees!" Sesshomaru ordered to his brother, who leapt at him again. Sei chuckled for the mere fact that she had a dirty mind. She saw the hellhound puppy finally catch up to her and then run off into the forest. Inuyasha was flung onto his back and knocked out, almost dead and his soul completely torn up.

"No, don't kill him!" Kagome shouted at Sesshomaru, who snorted quietly.

"Give him the Tetsusaiga. It will revert him back to his original self." Sesshomaru simply said as he slipped his knew sword onto his hip.

"Not on my watch!" Sei shouted as she dove at the half-demon. Sei flipped in the air and swung her blade, cancelling out Sesshomaru's green whip of light.

"I will be the one to kill him. Not you." Sesshomaru stated as he walked away. Sei lowered her scythe and then struck a very proper and girly pose.

"I will be the one to kill him, nah, nah, nah, I'm a dick and my mommy has my back! For real." Sei mocked in a childish voice. She took a deep breath and decided to go find the adventurous hellhound before he did something insanely stupid. She followed his scent, which was an odd scent of decay and…whatever puppies smelled like.

Sesshomaru returned to his followers and saw Rin in the small field of flowers, playing with what looked like a little puppy, but Sesshomaru knew better. It was a hellhound puppy. Hellhounds whisked unwilling souls straight to Hell and were controlled by no one, at least, no one knew of anyone who could control them. It was just a pup, but alas, the mother had to be somewhere close by. Sesshomaru pulled out his newest sword and took one giant leap towards it. He slashed the puppy and told Rin to take cover.

"Yes, my lord!" Rin replied willingly as she ran to Jaken. Sesshomaru watched as the pup ran away, crying loudly. The demon lord waited for a few moments, in case the mother showed up, but nothing came. Just as he turned around, a presence appeared.

"Hey dick-face, have you seen my dog? He's about this big, he's black and he goes by the same name you do." Sei announced, using her hands to show the size.

"You dare name that vermin after Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken hollered at her. Sei looked at him and blinked.

"Sesshomaru? No, I named him Stupid." Sei replied and just as the word 'stupid' left her mouth, Sesshomaru had already swiped her arm off.

"Ahahaha! See? I said the name and he just came running towards me! Oh, classic!" Sei laughed as she bent over, picking up her severed arm and sticking it back on. Sesshomaru watched as she twisted it and flexed it before picking her scythe up.

"I bet you wish you could do that, Stumpy. Now where, oh where, has my little dog gone? Oh where, oh where could he be?" Sei sang as a black aura surrounded her body. Sesshomaru felt the icy cold breeze pick up and he blinked when he saw his breath. The flowers began withering and dying, along with the trees. Even the ground became dry and cracked and the sky grew dark. Sei's lifeless red eyes were now glowing an evil red color and just as she went to strike, a yipping puppy came from nowhere.

"Oh, there you are you little shit." Sei exhaled calmly. Everything returned to normal and Sei picked the hellhound puppy up with her blade, hitched it over her shoulder and walked towards the shadows of the trees, disappearing in the darkness.

"Who was that?" Jaken asked with a shiver. Sesshomaru remained quiet as he stared where the reaper once stood. She couldn't be killed, she had strange abilities, and she laughed in the face of death and had a little hellhound puppy for a pet.

"I believe that was a Shinigami." Sesshomaru finally stated after piecing the clues together in his head. He had never met one, but his mother told him about them when she last talked to him. Sei fit the description perfectly, except for the whole, "respect for the dying souls" part. To him, she had no discipline.

"I shall teach her some the next time we meet." He said to himself, gathering his followers and continuing on with his journey.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the Hills and Far Away

Sei yawned as she nodded off into a deep slumber. She hadn't felt so tired before. She found herself wishing she had never become a Shinigami, that the reaper who killed her when she was small had chosen some other demon child instead. She heard the hellhound puppy yip with boredom, but she quickly hushed it, turning over on her side.

"Mmm! Shut up." Sei whimpered as she yawned so loudly that it brought tears to her eyes. She opened her eyes and glared at the pup silently. It lay down and quieted down as well, knowing that she wasn't kidding around.

When she woke up, Sei looked up at the sky expectantly. She sensed something beyond the clouds. She wondered if there really was a heaven. If after a soul was judged and deemed worthy, did it really go on to Heaven? Or was it a lie?

"My, my, you are careless." A voice said. Sei felt the chilled breeze brush over her as another Shinigami landed in front of her. He had the same attire as her and had long, uneven black hair and lifeless icy blue eyes. He also had black, swirled markings starting at the corners of his mouth and to his jaw line. He also had black markings around his eyes.

"Careless how?" Sei asked with boredom. She saw the man smirk slightly before turning his head in the direction of which he came from. Sei looked over and saw nothing.

"Do you have any clue how much you are literally digging your own grave?" he asked. Sei frowned and grabbed his spear when he thrust it out from underneath his cloak at her. Sei gritted her teeth and twisted the spear from his hands.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sei barked as she held the spear to his neck. He smirked and stared back silently. He was Zankoku, the Shinigami of Cruelty. He was one of the last reapers anyone would want to escort their soul to the next world. He took great pleasure in teasing and torturing people, humans and demons alike. Child or adult, no one was safe.

"Oh Sei, you look bored out of your mind. I was just trying to spark some life in you, is all." Zankoku chuckled, taking his spear from Sei and chuckling even more when the girl glanced at him suspiciously at the "life" comment.

"Oh har, har. Such a comedian." Sei replied, gripping her staff with both hands.

"I heard you let a human child's soul get away from you." The demon man stated with a cruel chuckle.

"More like her guard dog attacked me in the white world."

"Oh? You don't say? That's rare."

"Yeah no shit. That's what I thought when he almost stabbed me with his sword that can kill us."

"Who is this man you speak of?"

"Lord Sesshomaru."

"Who?" Zankoku asked while cocking an eyebrow, sticking his spear in the ground and leaning into it a bit.

"Tall, white guy, one arm, really charming personality." Sei retorted.

"Ah, a stick in the sand, eh?" he asked with a smirk.

"Haha, oh yeah. He wears the same, "There's a stick up my ass, but I refuse to tell anyone," expression all the time. Except when he's pissed, then it changes to, "This stick is getting uncomfortable." Haha." Sei chuckled in response. She quickly raised her scythe and blocked the spear's slice.

"You let your guard down too easily." Zankoku growled at her. Sei swung her blade and hacked off his left arm from the elbow. Zankoku hurled his spear with his other arm and struck Sei in the chest, knocking her onto her back. Zankoku picked up his arm and stuck it back on, wiggling his fingers to make sure they were working.

"Bastard!" Sei hissed as she sat up, slowly standing and pulling the spear from her chest and holding onto it with one hand, scythe held in the other.

"My spear, Sei." Zankoku ordered, holding his hand out, but Sei stood her ground and glared at him silently. Zankoku stepped forward, only for Sei to hold the weapons defensively.

"Haha, come on, Sei…quit fooling around." Zankoku growled, reaching to grab his weapon, only for Sei's foot to reach out and blast him in the chest.

"Screw you, Zankoku." Sei exhaled as she plowed his spear through his chest and walked away, hearing the puppy following her hurriedly.

"You're nothing compared to me! You're nothing compared to the original Sei, either!" Zankoku shouted after her. Sei quit walking and turned around.

"Obviously I am something if I killed a Shinigami when I was a child." Sei retorted.

"Sei was much more talented and motivated than you, demon!" Zankoku bellowed angrily. Sei smirked. At least he had the decency to realize her real name wasn't Sei. She didn't know what her real name was, but it was not Sei.

"I'm sure he/she/it/thing was." Sei stated with a small smug smirk before saluting Zankoku with her scythe and turning around.

"She was sent to steal your soul because your father owed the Master a debt that he didn't pay off! And you, a mere demon child who hadn't recognized her own powers, killed a powerful Shinigami and took her place? Absolutely ridiculous!"

"Oh really? Well, I couldn't tell you, she succeeded in killing me so I don't remember much, but I obviously killed her back. Karma is a bitch." Sei retorted as she disappeared without a trace.

Sei found herself in a foul mood. It was completely unfair. She didn't want any of this. She saw a few soul collectors disappear into the dark forest. She also smelled bones and dirt, meaning Kikyo was nearby. Sei debated on whether or not to drop in and say "Hi."

"I'd probably get shot in the ass. Oh well." Sei exhaled, turning around and found herself standing right in front of Inuyasha, a few yards separating them. The half demon stared at her, golden eyes wide, almost like he knew what she was.

"Is…is Kikyo dead?" Inuyasha asked softly.

"Haha, yeah, she's been dead for a long time…she's back there if you want to talk to the fake one." Sei answered, crossing her arms and still holding onto her weapon. Inuyasha swallowed hard and eyed Sei cautiously.

"I can't do anything if neither of you are ready to cross over. Don't mind me, just enjoying the nice air." Sei chirped as she walked away, whistling a happy little tune. Inuyasha waited for her to be completely out of his sight before running off to see Kikyo.

Kagome shivered as a cold chill raked her body. She was snuggled in her sleeping bag, Shippo curled up next to her and quietly snoozing. Kagome heard Miroku and Sango whispering their life stories back and forth to each other, the smell of cooking fish filling the young girl's nose.

"Oh, sorry Kagome, are we too loud?" Sango asked when the girl sat up. Kagome's eyes widened as she gasped. There was Sei, sitting by the fire and eyeing the cooking fish greedily.

"N-no, you're fine." Kagome answered, stuttering a bit.

"Mmm, fish, fish, fish." Sei chirped as she clapped her gloved hands softly.

"Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked, also feeling the chill. Sei looked up, her lifeless red eyes locking with Kagome's. Kagome opened her mouth, only to her Sei's voice echoing in her head.

"Aren't you tired? Go back to sleep. I'm not really here; you're just imagining things. Sleep Kagome, sleep." Sei's voice chanted softly, but the Shinigami's lips didn't move. Kagome yawned tiredly as her eyes began closing slowly. Sango and Miroku watched as Kagome slowly curled back up in her sleeping bag, yawning and falling asleep.

"Um, alright." Sango stated uncertainly as she stroked Kirara, who hissed and ran at Sei.

"Shit…cats can see me." Sei grumbled as she stared back at Kirara.

"What is it, Kirara?" Sango asked, gripping her weapon tightly. Sei grabbed the two fish and ate them quickly. The next thing she knew was the giant Hiraikotsu nailing her in the stomach and sending her flying backwards. Sei's invisibility wore off and she braced herself for another attack.

"Miroku! It's a demon!" Sango hollered, flinging a small knife she held to cut the now eaten fish. It nailed Sai in the chest, where her heart would've been. She looked up and saw the giant weapon flying at her once more. Sei swung her arm and caught the weapon with the chain. She flung it back at Sango and frowned when the small demon cat mewed and transformed into a bigger form. It roared before leaping at Sei.

"Stupid cat!" Sei hollered as she held her scythe up, blocking the demon's fangs and paws from striking her.

"Be gone, demon!" Miroku shouted, flinging his sutras at Sei, who fell onto her back to dodge them. She heard the pained howl of the demon cat when the purification papers struck it instead. Kirara was reverted to her smaller form and Sei was free to move.

"Do you work for Naraku? Answer me!" Miroku hollered as he held his holy staff at Sei.

"Um…no." Sei answered calmly, eyeing the two attacking humans carefully.

"Why were you at our camp?" Sango asked angrily.

"I was hungry, so I ate your fish and then you attacked me. Oh, by the way, here," Sei said, yanking the knife from her chest and tossing it at Sango's feet. The demon slayer lowered her weapon and frowned at Sei.

"You're not here to kill us?" Sango asked.

"Not unless you taste like chicken, which I doubt. Oh, your dog-friend is visiting the dead priestess. I felt like I needed to tattle on him." Sei announced with a smirk, the full moon in the sky highlighting her face.

"What about the spell you put Kagome under?" Miroku asked.

"A simple relaxation incantation. It's something I chant to people who are too scared to cross over. Oops, said to much." And with that, the Shinigami disappeared in the darkness.

"Who was she?" Sango asked.

"I don't know, but she was no ordinary demon." Miroku answered calmly.

Sesshomaru stood at the edge of a cliff, staring across the valley at the giant creature that was pinned to the cliff by a fang penetrating its heart. It was the dragon that his father had fought and was fatally injured by. His father would've survived had he not run off to save that mortal woman who carried his unborn child.

"Don't do it! There has to be another way!" A voice called from the other side of the valley.

"Do it! I don't want to walk away from this disappointed!" Another, more familiar voice, echoed. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and saw two cloaked figures in the distance. One had red hair and the other had black hair.

"If it isn't the cowardly scythe-wielder." Sesshomaru stated.

"You can do it, pants-thief! Just jump head first! It'll be over in seconds!" Sei called out loudly. Sesshomaru went to turn around and walk away, but the other cloaked demon took one leap and landed in front of Sesshomaru, thrusting his spear at the demon lord, who easily dodged it. Sesshomaru drew his sword and blocked Sei's sneak attack, flinging her backwards.

"Must be hard fighting with one arm!" Zankoku hollered cruelly as he went to bash Sesshomaru's head, but the demon lord was a quick one.

"What would you know about anything?" Sesshomaru asked back, slashing Zankoku's chest open. Sesshomaru felt a sharp pain burst through his back, stopping him in his tracks and almost bringing him to his knees.

"Aaww, Sei, that wasn't very nice." Zankoku chuckled.

"I am ashamed." Sei answered with a fake tone of humiliation. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth when he smelled his own blood. He quickly spun around, slashing Sei's arm off and drilling the top half of her torso from the rest of her body.

"Hahaha! Damn, he got you!" Zankoku laughed, backing up and preparing himself for a world of pain when Sesshomaru charged after him. Sei groaned as she struggled to pull her body together with one arm.

"You vermin must have a death wish!" Sesshomaru snarled, slicing Zankoku's hand from his wrist. Zankoku jumped away and watched as Sesshomaru kicked his hand off the cliff.

"Oh that was dirty as fuck! Sei, hurry up and pull yourself together, bitch!" Zankoku shouted frantically.

"Easier said than done, hoe bag!" Sei barked irritably, the top half of her torso reaching for the rest of her body. She saw Sesshomaru sprinting towards her, rage in his eyes.

"Uh oh!" Sei gasped, seeing that his intent was the kick her over the cliff edge as well, but Zankoku flew after Sesshomaru, swinging his spear and distracting the demon lord. Sesshomaru saw Sei's hand grab her body and pull it together. Then she grabbed her severed arm and stuck it back on.

"Finally! Go get my hand!" Zankoku demanded.

"You go get it! He's mine!" Sei retorted, running at Sesshomaru and swinging her blade. Sesshomaru flipped back into the air, swinging his sword and firing his attack at her. Sei went to block, but she realized that everything began moving slowly. Sesshomaru blinked and watched as his attack was sucked into a black hole. It disappeared and everything returned to normal speed.

"Sei, Zankoku," a frail-sounding voice called out. Sesshomaru turned his head and saw another cloaked demon walking up. She was an old lady demon with stringy, gray hair pulled back into a topknot. She walked up to the two demons and glared at them with her gray eyes.

"You two fools are in trouble. Back to Hell you go, heathens!" she shouted.

"Can I get my hand first?" Zankoku asked, waving his handless arm at her.

"Make it quick. Sei, go now." The demon woman ordered. Sei stared at her silently, making no immediate movements. Sei then made eye contact with Sesshomaru before slashing open a portal and stepping into it, disappearing once more.

"I do apologize. Sei is one of our younger ones, but Zankoku will suffer consequences, since he is an older one." The old woman stated to Sesshomaru, who placed his sword back in its place on his hip.

"Shinigami, yes?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes. Zankoku, off to Hell with you!" The old woman shouted when she saw the Shinigami tried to escape. He grumbled before stepping into his portal.

"Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I am Jikan, Shinigami of Time. I am one of the originals. Is there anyway to make up for my two subordinate's childish behavior?" Jikan asked while rubbing her forehead. Sesshomaru looked up in the sky and thought for a moment.

"Is there any way for me to speak with someone who is already dead?" Sesshomaru finally asked, looking back at Jikan, who frowned.

"Yes, but it depends. If their soul has crossed over, you must travel through outer Hell and if they are Earthbound, I can speak to them for you."

"No, I wish to speak and answer on my own."

"I don't make the rules, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You know of me?"

"Haha, I've been around for a long time. And I knew your father and mother."

"I wish to speak with my father."

"He has crossed over."

"Then you will take me to him."

"No, I am busy. I will send someone else with you. Wait here." Jikan insisted as she disappeared. Sesshomaru hated waiting. He grew angry with each passing second, watching as Jikan returned with a red-haired Shinigami.

"No way, bitch, you're kidding me!" Sei barked at Jikan, who giggled in response.

"You will safely lead him to his father and back and you will not defy my word." Jikan stated, turning to Sesshomaru.

"Trust me, she's one of our less harmful Shinigami, I'm sure you can handle her." And with that, Jikan disappeared quickly. Sesshomaru and Sei glared at one another for what seemed like hours. Sei finally broke the eye contact and turned her body, slashing open a portal and looking at Sesshomaru, holding one of her chains up.

"You have to stay attached to me or you might get sucked into some other portal and I refuse to chase after you." Sei stated simply. Sesshomaru grabbed the chain attached to her arm and leapt into the portal with her. Sesshomaru saw other Shinigami zipping by, laughing and exiting to reap the souls they were assigned to. Sei seemed to be purposely moving slow, just to irritate Sesshomaru.

"Woooo! Hey Sei! Got you a boyfriend? Hahahaha!" a man's voice cackled as he exited into the living world. Sesshomaru saw the largest portal and assumed that was the entrance to Hell. Sei flew into it and landed on the stone floor on her feet. Sesshomaru landed as skillfully as her and let go of her chain.

"Alright, your father has crossed over, has been judged and is somewhere beyond that gate," Sei announced, walking down the corridor. Sesshomaru saw two Shinigami turn the corner and walk towards him and Sei. They nodded at Sei and then frowned at Sesshomaru.

"Please tell me that those aren't our new uniforms." The Shinigami holding a battle-ax groaned, rolling his acid green eyes.

"Aren't flowers a sign of life? What the Hell?" The other reaper growled, grabbing Sesshomaru's empty sleeve and inspecting it.

"How are you going to reap souls with one arm? Seems stupid."

"Haha, you guys are dumb." Sei giggled.

"Ohh, he's alive…what's he doing here?" the first Shinigami asked.

"Unsolved daddy issues." Sei answered with an annoyed exhale. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and tried to stay calm…even though the two new Shinigami were laughing their asses off.

"Haha, hey, my name is Kage. I am the Shinigami of Shadows." The one with acid green eyes chirped.

"I'm Kutsuu, Shinigami of Pain." The other answered. Sei nodded to them and walked away, hearing Sesshomaru punch one of them and kick the other in the stomach before he caught up with Sei. They entered a huge chamber, where a large, mountainous demon glowered at Sei.

"What?" he growled.

"Missed you, too, boss. I have permission from Jikan to take him to speak with his father." Sei announced. The large demon growled and slowly stepped out of the way, allowing the Shinigami and demon lord to pass. They entered a dark room with one lit lamp. Sei knocked on the large door and stepped back as it opened.

"So much security for dead, worthless things." Sesshomaru commented nastily. Sei rolled her eyes.

"That sword on your hip, the one that can revive souls, if not for our organization, soul eaters and other terrible things would've eaten Rin's soul before you ever showed up." Sei replied calmly as she walked across the stone bridge, Sesshomaru following her briskly.

"I smell rotting corpses." Sesshomaru growled.

"You're in Hell, don't act so surprised." Sei giggled in reply as she opened another door. Sesshomaru looked around and found himself speechless. There was a huge ocean. It was a dark, black ocean with a dock and boats that transferred weapons and other materials from one side to the other. Sei found a small boat and let Sesshomaru get on first. The demon lord sat down on the bench and watched as Sei walked on the boat, her chains clinging and rattling as they hit the wooden vessel. Sei pushed the boat from the dock and sat down in front of Sesshomaru.

"How are we to steer?" he asked.

"There is one current and it leads right to the other side." Sei answered. Sesshomaru realized that it was so dark; he couldn't see anything, even his hand in front of him.

"Is there no lamp?" he quizzed.

"You scared?" Sei exhaled, placing her scythe in her lap and exhaling with boredom. Sesshomaru snorted in reply.

"Your world is new to me. I am asking out of curiosity and nothing more." Sesshomaru finally said.

"When people die at sea, their souls and bodies immediately come here. Eventually they wash up on shore and the Shinigami snatch them up and dispose of the bodies."

"That doesn't answer my question about why we are sailing without a lamp."

"Souls that die prematurely are usually angry and violent. We're not allowed to touch them until they hit the shore. It's better to stay in the dark and out of their sight."

"If they cannot see us, how will we see them?" Sesshomaru questioned, glancing over the side of the boat, only to see black, but he heard the water gently pushing the boat forward.

"You ask a lot of questions and then pass judgments onto others and declare them foolish. I take it you're one of those "hypocrite" things I've been hearing about lately." Sei commented with boredom gilding her tone. Sesshomaru restrained from lowering himself to her level and insulting her. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and decided to rest. He was quite tired. Sesshomaru opened his eyes when he heard distant screaming, crying and other agonized sounds. He saw an eerie blue glow coming from the black waters.

"Don't move." Sei whispered under her breath. Sesshomaru did as she said and stared back at Sei, who looked as eerie as can be. The glow reflected off her pale face, which showed her "I really wish I weren't here right now" expression. Sesshomaru glanced at the water and saw the bodies floating beneath the surface, their mouths open as they screamed and cried their angst to the underworld. Men, women and children alike were mixed in with the large group.

"Why do they continue to scream?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know." Sei replied with a heavy exhale. Sesshomaru turned his head and watched as the souls drifted by, heading back to the dock that he and the Shinigami sailed from.

"What happens when the person burns to death?" Sesshomaru quizzed, thinking of a certain someone when asking it. Sei crossed one leg over the other, her chains rattling with the movements as she rested her chin on her hand.

"Their skin starts to cook and eventually melts off from the body. They inhale poisonous gases and hopefully lose consciousness,"

"I meant what happens to their soul. I don't need full detail on the body."

"Why didn't you just say so? Nothing. It's the same rules as natural death or if someone kills you. The only place that the rules differ is in the deep blue sea." Sei explained, slowly whipping her chain on her right arm in a slow circle above her head.

"Explain."

"I can't just teleport underwater. It makes for an awkward scene. It's the rules. Once they hit rock bottom, they come here and then they wash up on Hell's shore."

"I see."

"Maybe we can find a scraggly arm replacement for you while we're here." Sei stated smugly.

"You go too far."

"Pfft." Sei wasn't scared of him. They were in her world where her powers skyrocketed. She would barely have to lift a finger to send him flying, but she soon realized it would be unnecessary, seeing as he was keeping his cool. Of course, he had a reason not to piss her off. She was the tour guide. Without her, he'd be lost. The blinding darkness soon returned once the slow, floating souls disappeared entirely.

They finally reached the dock at the other side and walked off the dock. Sei walked up to a tall, black-cloaked creature which had a hood pulled over its head to hide its face. It's skeletal hands held onto a stick that held a paper lamp at the end of it. Sei hooked her scythe onto her back, sticking it through the chain that went around her waist. She pressed her palms together and bowed at the hip. The creature let out a grumbling, croaking sound before handing the stick and lamp to Sei.

"He said they're exceptionally hungry today." Sei said to Sesshomaru as she walked into the darkness.

"They?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You know, you ask a lot of questions. You'll find out. The closer to the light, the better chance of not being attacked."

"You enjoy avoiding my questions."

"Yes. Now stay close, I'm not in the mood to save your ass." Sei growled as she found the rocky path that led to seemingly nowhere and if someone were to fall, they would fall into the darkness forever.

"So if there is a Hell, there must be a Heaven. The things you learn every day." Sesshomaru grumbled, his mood sinking with each moment that passed.

"Hah! I've yet to see any proof of this so-called Heaven."

"You lie."

"No, really. Once the souls go to judgment, we never see them again. Either they're sent to the inner circles of Hell or they go somewhere else, but there is no Heaven."

"You claim the gods are not real?"

"I am a god…of death." Sei stated as-a-matter-of-factly as she held her other hand up.

"My father told me about Shinigami, about how you are the lowest of all gods."

"Uh, yeah, duh, we reside in Hell and the other fly around in the sky."

"Your powers are nothing compared to the other gods."

"According to who? You or your father?"

"Now who is asking questions?" Sesshomaru questioned slyly.

"You just did."

"Fair enough. My father." Sesshomaru said.

"What else did Daddy say?"

"The gods put a smile on your face and you should be thankful."

"I doubt he passed judgment with lies like that. Haha, the gods didn't put a smile on my face. That quote did. You don't believe him, do you? I've never seen you smile in the short time I've known you."

"Where he was great in power, he lacked in realism."

"Basically he was a buffed out dumb ass. Awesome. What are you? The scrawny dumb ass?" Sei retorted spitefully as she held the lamp closer to the ground. She heard the demon lord's low growl of warning, but nothing more.

"How much longer?"

"Not much, the sky is blue, the grass is green and yes, I am a girl."

"I don't care."

"I was just answering possible future questions. How about you, oh, I don't know, quit asking questions?"

"Is it wrong to seek knowledge?"

"Haha, I hate you with a burning passion. No, it's not wrong to seek knowledge, but there's a big line between being curious and just being obnoxious and you danced all over that line before leaping over it." Sei explained calmly.

"I see. I have no more questions, then."

"Thanks the gods who are in Heaven. I thought he'd never stop."

"Wench, you go too far." Sesshomaru warned.

"Bite me." Sei snapped back. She then realized that she had forgotten something. The hellhound puppy.

"Oh fuck me sideways so hard that I can't walk away from it…shit!" Sei hissed as she stamped her foot. Now she had to hurry up and get Sesshomaru to talk to his father to solve issues and get back to Earth and find the little shit before something happened.

AN- I kind of combined Western religions with the Eastern ones, so yeah, I'm not culturally incompetent. I just don't like using one basic idea. Combos are fun. And before anyone grows a pair to ask this, I'll go ahead and snip them off and answer it…NO ROMANCE! Ever. Thanks for checking this out though. I do appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

The Spiritual One

Sesshomaru watched as Sei stopped walking in the middle of a path that led down to a dark cave. She turned her head and stared at Sesshomaru.

"He judges the souls. Only he knows where your father is. I cannot talk to him. You have to." Sei explained.

"I see." Sesshomaru replied, walking towards the cave without hesitation.

"Deny, deny, deny. Don't own up to anything he accuses you of. Just ask and get the answer. I'll be waiting." Sei stated, standing guard at the entrance with the lamp. Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod before entering the cave. His eyes were able to pick up on the dimly lit cave. Where the light was coming from, he didn't know. He heard the dripping of water and his every step echoing in the cave.

"Ah, the elder son of the dog general, how nice to finally meet you." A deep and calming voice said. Sesshomaru stopped walking and kept his calm. He could feel the ominous presence of something in the cave with him.

"I see. So you came here with Sei? I've been much eager to meet her since she died, but she became a Shinigami and avoided my judgment. Tell Sei that she would've been deemed innocent and worthy of passing on."

"I am not here to carry messages. I am here to ask you where my father's soul resides." Sesshomaru stated sternly.

"Ah yes, yes, of course. The heartless demon lord is much too concerned with himself. Your soul will be much fun to judge."

"My father…where is he?" Sesshomaru asked, remembering Sei's advice to avoid owning up to anything.

"Why should I tell you? You've done nothing good in your life…except save a little girl, but what is one little girl to the many lives lost by your hand?"

"I am his son. I seek answers to help better myself."

"You mean to help increase your power. Sesshomaru, I am not so easy to fool. You're going to have to try harder than that." The voice chucked. Sesshomaru slowly inhaled through his nose and kept his gaze forward. He felt the slithering body surrounding him, but not touching him.

"A son wishing to speak with his father is nothing to judge." Sesshomaru said.

"Unless the son has bad intentions."

"I do not have bad nor good intentions. I wish to ask my father a question. Nothing more."

"And what question would that be?"

"None of your concern. You're not my father."

"But I know where he is."

"Then tell me and quit wasting my time. When I am dead, then you can judge me, until then, there's nothing you can do." Sesshomaru stated, his voice gaining some sternness to it. He felt the body slither away from him and the snake-like creature return deeper into the cave.

"Your father passed. He's in the next world." The voice finally replied as the creature slithered deeper into the cave. Sesshomaru glared after it silently before walking out of the cave, seeing a sleeping Sei. She had fallen asleep while standing up, using her scythe to balance herself.

"Wake up." Sesshomaru ordered. Sei's red eyes opened as she straightened her posture.

"Where to?" she asked, picking up the stick and lamp as she walked away.

"He passed."

"Hm, this should be interesting."

"The creature, within the cave, he said that had you not become a Shinigami, you would've passed." Sesshomaru said, not entirely understanding what that meant. He saw Sei stop walking for a moment, turning around and glaring at Sesshomaru suspiciously.

"Now why would he tell you that? It's none of your business." Sei said, her voice ice cold. Sesshomaru blinked as he stared back at her. Sei turned around and continued on the darkened path, saying nothing more. Sesshomaru then began thinking about it. Had she not become a Shinigami, she would've passed. So she had once been alive? He figured Shinigami were born as Shinigami.

"Why have we stopped?" Sesshomaru asked when Sei stopped at a large door. She was staring at it intensely. She hung the lamp in a holder before opening the door, only to wince when the blinding white light emitted from the inside.

"Ahh! Fucking light! It's too bright!" Sei hissed, ducking behind Sesshomaru and using his body to shield her sensitive eyes. Sesshomaru found himself staring straight at his father, who stood in the entrance, a warm smile on his face.

"My son," the demon man said softly.

"Father," Sesshomaru responded calmly.

"If I know you, you would not have come here just to visit me. There is something bothering you, no?" his father asked, his tone more serious. Sesshomaru nodded in reply. He then followed his father into the light to find a better place to talk.

"Keep up." Sesshomaru ordered Sei, who held her arm over her eyes to block the light.

"So, what is it?" The older dog demon asked, sitting down in the green grass. Sei finally blinked her eyes into focus and realized where they were. It was a beautiful field of grass with a large lake of clear water. There was no sun, but there was a sky and it was lit. Sesshomaru sat next to his father and glanced at Sei, who rolled her eyes.

"I'll give you ladies some privacy." She stated with a growl, walking down to the water.

"Heh, spunky." Sesshomaru heard his father say under his breath.

"Father, why did you leave me the Tenseiga?" Sesshomaru asked quickly, the bitterness audible in his tone. His father smirked and realized that both he and his son were watching Sei as she chopped the water with her blade, muttering curses to herself as she waited for them to finish talking.

"Because you need to learn." The father replied.

"Learn what?"

"You'll know once you figure it out."

"Is it that hard to give me a straight answer? Damn, if I knew you were going to say that, I wouldn't have wasted my time." Sesshomaru bit back as he stood up, striding away.

"Haha, I love men's conversations! Short, sweet and to the point! I would've killed you if you were a woman." Sei laughed as she ran after the demon lord, looking back at his father, who had crossed his arms, a knowing smile spread across his face. Sei turned around and ran into Sesshomaru, who had stopped walking.

"Shit! You need to let people know when you're going to do that!" Sei barked at Sesshomaru, who turned around and started walking back towards his father. He heard Sei let out a frustrated groan, but he ignored her.

"Back already?" His father asked smugly.

"Why did you leave my mother for a disgusting human?" Sesshomaru asked cruelly. He saw his father's expression harden as he glared up at hom.

"You know nothing of what happened, so don't stand there and act as if I did something wrong." The older dog demon growled back.

"Will you two fight? I have to get back to Earth and find that stupid ass hellhound!" Sei's irritated voice rang. Father and son glared at one another for a few silent moments.

"Love is nonexistent." Sesshomaru stated.

"If it was, then I would've killed you a long time ago, Sesshomaru."

"I should've killed you when I had the chance." Sesshomaru replied.

"You're a dick!" Sei shouted.

"Now what did you really come here to ask of me?"

"You had a third sword, one that you did not pass on to either me or Inuyasha…where is it?" Sesshomaru asked.

"My dear boy, I didn't give that sword to either of you for a reason. Now why would I go through the trouble of hiding it from you both just to tell where it is afterwards? That defeats the whole purpose."

"Purpose of what? Irritating me?"

"I am your father. If I can't have your respect, then you will get none from me."

"Where is the sword?"

"I'm not telling you. Now, is there anything else or can I go back to my cage?"

"Tell me where you hid Sounga." Sesshomaru demanded, his voice rising a bit with annoyance. His father chuckled as he stood up, facing his son calmly.

"If asking me nicely won't work, demanding it won't work either. If this is all you have to ask me, then I will…you, Shinigami," The father called out to Sei, who stopped chasing the butterflies and turned around, taking a leap and landing in front of Sesshomaru and his father.

"Need me to referee?" she asked.

"No. Tell me your name." His father said.

"Sei." She replied.

"Ah, so you're the one who lead me to Hell?"

"What? No, I've never met you before."

"Is there another Shinigami named Sei?"

"No…well…the one before me, she was named Sei."

"I see. Then it must have been her, not you. Well, Sesshomaru, this is where we part ways,"

"Wait, Father," Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Yes?" He asked, still as patient as ever.

"If I learn this lesson you speak of, will you be willing to answer my questions?" Sesshomaru questioned. His father patted his shoulder warmly before turning around and walking away.

"Sure, but something tells me your questions will be answered by then. But, that doesn't mean visiting your father would hurt any." And with that sentence, Sesshomaru and Sei found themselves back outside of the closed door.

"Well, thanks for wasting my time." Sei said to Sesshomaru, who glared after her silently.

"If I had known he wouldn't answer me, then I would not have wasted either of our times." He finally retorted after catching up with the Shinigami.

"He wants you to learn compassion…there's your fucking answer!" Sei exhaled loudly.

"Compassion?"

"Yeah, you know, kindness, consideration, sympathy…any of this ringing a bell?"

"Compassion is a waste of time."

"Haha, and you're alive while I'm dead? No fair."

"You know how to be compassionate? I find that hard to believe."

"Maybe if I was given a chance at life, I would have been fine."

"You were killed as a child."

"Yeah, let's just drop this conversation." Sei said, speeding up her pace. She wanted him out.

Naraku sat in the shadows, his crimson eyes watching Sei closely. She didn't remember him, but he definitely remembered her. If he could kill her, then he would inherit her powers. There was a possibility of killing her without the need of spiritual powers, but it was a slight opening.

"What do you want?" Sei asked, looking into the trees with boredom. Naraku smirked. Time to set his plan into motion. Sei watched as a young boy walked out to face her. He was wearing the same demon slayer attire as Sango, but a different color. He held his chained scythe at the ready.

"Chained scythe versus chains and a scythe…who will win? I bet I know." Sei taunted, seeing the boy's empty eyes.

"His name is Kohaku." A deep voice said from the trees.

"Hey, I know you…Monkey man!" Sei called teasingly, dodging Kohaku's scythe, which flung in a circle to hook her leg, but Sei easily dodged it again. She ran up to the boy, who was unarmed, and flung her arm, whipping him in the side with her own chain. Kohaku cried out and fell to his knees. Sei kicked him onto his stomach and held the tip of her scythe on the back of his neck.

"Kill him." Naraku suggested coolly. Sei transferred herself and the boy's soul to the white world.

"Are you in pain?" Sei asked him. She saw his brown eyes avert hers and look down. His eyes began to water, but he held his composure otherwise.

"Y-yes." He replied.

"Do you want the pain to stop?"

"He…he makes it stop when I do as he says."

"I can make it stop forever. All you have to do is pass the judgment."

"I killed my father and my other fellow slayers and I almost killed my own sister. I wouldn't pass." Kohaku said sadly.

"If I were you, I would take my chances in the next world, but I'm not you. So, is pain what you choose?" Sei asked.

"Yes. I deserve it."

"Fair enough." Sei declared as she returned to the forest. She let Kohaku up before walking away.

"Such a weak Shinigami." Naraku growled. Sei stopped walking and turned around.

"You want to come say that to my face?" Sei threatened.

"Heh, maybe later." Naraku answered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, pussy." Sei growled before the presence disappeared.

"Sei," another voice called. Sei quickly turned and held her scythe at the ready, only to lower it when she saw Sesshomaru…and the stupid puppy.

"Oh, there you are." Sei said to it. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru sniffing the air.

"Naraku," he said under his breath.

"Damn, he's on everyone's hit list." Sei stated before disappearing into the portal and dragging the hellhound with her. She left the puppy with her boss to be picked up later and returned to her chambers. Sei fell onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling listlessly. As she lay there, her mind flooded with envy and anger. Sei jumped up and let out a loud roar of anger as she swung her chains at the door, breaking everything in her room before panting breathlessly.

"I…hate this." She whispered to herself, staring at her hands and balling them into fists.

A while later, Sei returned to the world of the living. She heard the thunder and looked up, feeling a few raindrops land on her face. Sei closed her eyes and let the cool rain beat down on her face. Sei reached back and pulled her hood up over her head, slowly walking through the rain in search of souls. She held her scythe's blade towards the ground, her chains jingling and rattling with each movement. She heard sobbing nearby and walked towards the noise. She saw a mortal woman collapse, her baby in her arms.

"P…please…take my baby," the woman begged Sei weakly. Sei held her blade up and smirked.

"I'm not here for the baby," Sei said, transporting to the white world.

"If you take me, please save my baby," the woman pleaded. Sei held her blade on the woman's chest.

"I will." Sei promised, ripping the soul from her chest and returning to the forest. Sei kneeled down and scooped the baby up in one arm, her other hand gripping her weapon.

"You're lucky, kid." Sei mumbled to the drowsy infant.

Sei did her best to shield the baby from the rain as she tried to find a possible candidate for the caretaker of the baby. Sei was aiming towards an elderly couple instead of younger ones who tended to shun kids that weren't theirs.

"This is what I get for being kind." Sei murmured to herself, striding into a village that seemed horribly familiar. She looked around and realized it was the village that Kikyo had once lived in. She walked into the middle of the village and decided to leave the baby inside someone's hut.

"Demon, get out of here!" a woman's voice shouted. Sei turned around and saw the short, old lady with the patch over her eye. Sei walked up to her calmly and held the baby out.

"I was just looking for someone to take care of it." Sei said. The old woman lowered her bow and arrow and took the baby.

"I see. Ye do not mean harm. It's cold out, would ye like a place to stay?" the woman asked.

"Nah. I'm fine." Sei replied as she walked away quickly. The cold didn't bother her. Nor did the rain.

The Shinigami finally found what used to be a city, but it was long ago abandoned. The huts and houses were worn and broken and the biggest manor, which resided on the cliff that overlooked the surrounding town, was also abandoned. Sei used her blade to push objects around and help further inspect for lost souls. She walked into a hut and knocked over a huge vat, grimacing at the smell of the contents. In Hell, there were rotting corpses, but this smell surpassed that entirely. She saw the green, moldy gunk slowly pouring out of it, a scaly lump of meat also fell out.

"It's a demon town." Sei said under her breath. She inspected other huts and found similar vats and contents within them. Simple homes. Then her eyes led up to the manor. She was intensely curious.

"Any demons here that want to go to Hell?" Sei called out humorously once she was inside. No replies, just the sound of the rain beating against the roof. She leapt up the broken staircase and found a large room. She slid open the door and walked in, eyes scanning the room intensely. She heard a small thump and turned her head, watching a small red ball roll towards her. It stopped a few feet away. Then a cat pounced on it from the shadows.

"I feel like I've been here before." Sei whispered, watching the cat play with the red ball before walking out of the room. She saw the dried blood splattered on the floor; paw prints and scratches along with it. There must have been a fight. Sei walked into the large chamber room, seeing a demon skeleton with the armor still protecting it. No souls, though.

"What a bore." Sei growled distastefully. She glanced out the window and saw a small field of grass that was slightly scorched. She leapt out the window and landed in the field. Sei took a step forward and felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest. She stepped forward again and was brought to her knees. Sei pressed her hand against her chest as she panted breathlessly, the smell of blood entering her nose.

"Wh-what?" Sei stuttered nervously when she held her hand in front of her, her glove soaked with her blood. Her blood? She didn't bleed. She had no blood. Sei coughed up more blood and closed her eyes. She saw a vision of a dark, cloaked figure gliding over the field after her. She was running, crying for someone…someone she knew, but it was too late. The chains caught her legs and the scythe plowed through her chest.

"STOP!" Sei shouted as she fell over, breathing heavily as she looked up at the sky.

"Stop...stop…no more." She begged.

"You should've known better than to return here. The boss suppressed these memories for a reason." Zankoku's voice droned as he stood over his fallen comrade, looking down at her vacantly.

"I…I didn't know this was…where I died." Sei said back truthfully.

"Yup…this exact same spot and exact same position of the body." He answered.

"You were a part of it." Sei said.

"A part of what?" Zankoku asked with a smug smirk.

"Whatever happened to me back then, you were a part of it."

"The original Sei and I were both sent here. I took care of everyone inside while Sei's mission was you."

"Why?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you. What's done is done. "Why" is no longer important." Zankoku answered.

"It's important to me."

"Only because all of those feelings are rushing back to you. Once you get away from here, you won't even give a damn."

"Fuck you." Sei growled.

"Ha…hahaha." Zankoku chuckled as he disappeared. Sei closed her eyes, feeling sleepy.

Sei finally regained consciousness when she heard voices. She also felt something pointy sticking in her face. She tried to move, but it was near impossible.

"Master Jaken, is she dead?" a young girl's voice chirped.

"Either that or she's a heavy sleeper…hah!" Jaken retorted, still poking Sei's cheek with the end of his staff. Sei felt the energy return to her and she immediately reacted.

"QUIT FUCKING TOUCHING ME!" Sei bellowed, grabbing the staff and beating Jaken in the head with it. Rin gasped when the Shinigami stood up slowly, grabbing her scythe and glowering down at the green imp. She finally realized who they were and groaned.

"Not you again." Sei whined. She sniffed the air. No Sesshomaru. Perfect. Sei kicked Jaken one last time before ripping open a portal and jumping in. Her boss had a lot of explaining to do.


	6. Chapter 6

Transformation

Sei stood at the edge of a cliff, watching as the giant dragon demon slithered towards Inuyasha's motionless body. Sei saw the half-demon's soul becoming engulfed in its own fear and frustration. Inuyasha jumped up and slashed away at the dragon's iron-hard body, ripping it open and knocking the giant creature back a bit.

"Damn, I thought he was a goner." Sei grumbled under her breath. She was becoming irritated with waiting for Inuyasha to die, only for him to kick back and fight to live. The dragon demon was just toying with him.

"This is annoying me." Sei growled, walking away to find souls to reap. She walked into the forest and heard a rustle in the trees.

"Die!" a demon shouted, attacking Sei out of the blue. Sei swung her blade and chopped his body in half. She snatched his soul and walked away, still in disbelief of what she just did. She killed something and took its soul.

"The boss sent the real Sei and Zankoku after me, so why can't I break rules?" Sei asked under her breath. She felt the rage bubbling within her chest and she needed to let it out on someone. She closed her eyes and searched for a certain soul. She wanted to find out why everyone hated him so much. She ripped open a portal and stepped inside, transporting directly into the castle room in which he hid.

"Ah, Shinigami, so we meet once again," his deep voice chuckled. Sei looked across the room and saw the man sitting on the floor, his wavy black hair and crimson eyes bringing out the menacing side of him, though his posture showed him relaxed and chill. He had the void child sitting beside him, watching Inuyasha fight for his life through her mirror.

"Yeah, the weak Shinigami is standing in the same room as you," Sei stated. Naraku turned his attention on her and smirked slightly.

"Are you here to take my soul? Or is there something else that has caught your attention…the Shikon jewel, perhaps?" Naraku asked, holding the fragment in his hand. Sei noticed that it had gotten a bit smaller. The missing chunk was now a huge chunk. Sei eyed it greedily but kept her face unreadable. With her lifeless eyes, it was impossible to read any emotion from her, but Naraku knew. How? Sei had no clue. Maybe he just knew that everyone, human and demon alike, is driven by selfish desires.

"I'm here out of boredom." Sei answered, gripping her scythe tighter with both hands when she saw his wicked smirk and crimson red eyes focus on her even harder. He knew what she wanted.

"Boredom, you say? You're sure you don't want this?" Naraku asked, holding the jewel out further, watching Sei's eyes stare into it listlessly.

"What the hell am I going to do with it?" Sei asked, shrugging and gripping her scythe even harder.

"I don't know. What would you do if you could do it?" Naraku questioned, pulling his hand back towards him, rolling the jewel around in his hand with the index finger of his other hand. His eyes never left Sei, though. It was almost like he was trying to hypnotize her or spark an emotion within her. It was almost working.

"Do you remember me? From fifty years ago?" he asked, eyes blazing into Sei's. Sei blinked as she stared back. Fifty years ago? Who else did she know from fifty years ago?

"Kikyo…the priestess…wait…you're the bandit she was taking care of, aren't you?" Sei asked him. Naraku finally closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

"Once upon a time," he replied, hiding the jewel within his robes. Sei cocked her head as she hid the pleasure that filled her. He was one being with two souls melded into one. Those were the best souls because Sei got to judge them herself. It was against all natural law for one soul to absorb and dominate another…especially a demon's soul overriding a human's soul and doing awful things to other living things.

"Fun times." Sei stated, turning her head when she heard the door behind her slide open. The woman with the fan walked in, her lifeless red eyes remind Sei of her own.

"Kagura, so nice to see you." Naraku said, a certain tone in his voice freezing the room over.

"What? Missed me?" Kagura asked sarcastically.

"Leaking more information to Sesshomaru?" Naraku asked as he stood up. He walked and stopped, standing right next to Sei.

"Now's your chance, reaper…take my life." Naraku teased. Sei swallowed air and remained quiet. She felt Naraku's hand grasp her scythe, resting the blade on the side of his neck.

"One jerk and there goes my head," he continued. Sei wanted to. His soul would snatch a wonderful reward with Sei's boss, but she already killed and stole a soul, she wouldn't do it again. Sei lowered her blade from his neck and began walking into the darkest part of the room, her chains dragging against the floor until she disappeared completely.

Sei yawned as she raked her blade across the grass, chopping the plants cleanly in half. It had been a few days since her meeting with Naraku. Since then, she had killed a few more…humans this time. She couldn't help it. They were two young men, talking and having such a good time catching up. Sei turned her head and stared at their shredded bodies that lay not too far away.

"Sorry." She muttered. She waited a while longer, expecting one of the older Shinigami to take her back for punishment, but no one came. Sei walked away and promised herself not to kill anymore. She couldn't afford to do it again.

Sei sat down under a tree, looking up and seeing Zankoku slowly approaching her, his spear held in one hand and a paper lamp held in the other. The male Shinigami looked back down at Sei and motioned with his spear for her to stand up.

"Come on, let's go." Zankoku ordered calmly.

"Of course they send you to bring me back for punishment." Sei stated, not moving an inch.

"What're you talking about? I came to show you something. Let's go." He replied, motioning with his spear once more for her to get up. Sei stared back for a moment before standing up slowly. She followed him into the darkness of the forest, wondering what he was up to. She saw him pull his hood up and she did the same. He stopped at the edge of the forest, blowing out the lamp and squatting down. Sei got down with him and glanced at him.

"Have you ever seen a soul-eater?" Zankoku whispered to her.

"No." Sei replied.

"Do you know why we are not allowed to slay soul-eaters?"

"Because the boss said so." Sei said sarcastically. Zankoku chuckled a bit as he looked back at her.

"They were Shinigami once and they are still considered Shinigami, which is why aren't allowed to kill them."

"They were Shinigami?"

"Mhm…look," Zankoku whispered, pointing out in the open field with his spear. Sei moved closer and stared out. She felt the cold breeze brushing through the trees and field and below the moonlight, a creature slowly appeared in sight. It walked on all fours, but its back legs were longer than its front ones, meaning it could walk on two legs. It had horns on its head like a bull and a face of a wild cat. Its body was that of an ogre.

"It looks like a demon," Sei whispered.

"A lot of demons get blamed for the work of a soul-eater. This one used to be Akumu, the Shinigami of Nightmares. Despite his representation, he was a good guy."

"What happened to him?"

"When a Shinigami breaks rules, it starts to change. It's like an addiction and they literally transform into a monster."

"You mean the kind of rules I broke, don't you?" Sei asked, watching as the soul-eater lifted its head in the air, sniffing deeply for something. Zankoku turned his head and gave Sei what looked like a saddened look.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean." He whispered calmly.

"Zankoku…is that you hiding over there?" the beast snarled.

"Just teaching a young one a lesson." Zankoku replied innocently.

"Oh, really now? Heh, are you going to tell her that her natural instinct to kill is illegal like the boss told me?"

"Akumu, do you really enjoy looking like an ugly ass bull-cat?" Zankoku asked sarcastically. Sei heard the beast snarl warningly, but he disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

"He started killing and never stopped. For Shinigami, killing is an addiction and once you start, you'll keep going."

"Sounds like you're actually trying to save me or something." Sei said as she stood up, staring back at Zankoku with slight annoyance. The male Shinigami narrowed his eyes as he studied her face.

"How many have you killed?" he asked softly. Sei rested her blade on her shoulder and snorted.

"Not enough to satisfy my thirst for blood." Sei retorted sarcastically as she began walking away.

"That's not funny." Zankoku said to her sternly. Sei turned around and saw him watching her every movement.

"You act like I mean something to you. Go back to being a dick. It suits you better." Sei growled at him harshly as she walked away. Zankoku exhaled loudly as he watched her leave. Something told him that she actually cared about what he told her, she just didn't care about him.

"Heh, you owe me, bitch." Zankoku stated as he disappeared in the darkness.

Sesshomaru found the two human victims of Sei. He frowned when he realized just who had done it. He was pretty sure that Shinigami weren't allowed to kill for souls. He decided to find her and end her before she did anything else. The sun was just now starting to rise, so the darkness was still in effect. He found Sei standing in a field, staring up at the sky mindlessly, almost like she was in a trance. She didn't even hear him approaching.

"You have killed." Sesshomaru stated.

"Big fucking deal." Sei replied without missing a beat.

"Isn't that against your rules?"

"I haven't been punished yet." She retorted. Sesshomaru stared at her for a few moments. Something about her was different. She seemed way too calm and it wasn't a good calm, either. It was the kind of calm that came right before a terrible storm. He heard her chains rattle and noticed that she had turned around to face him, her blade held above her head, almost like she planned to slash him.

"So, are you here to fight or are you going to scold me?" she asked uncaringly. Sesshomaru reached for Tenseiga, keeping his eyes fixed on her. She was too calm. Just as Sesshomaru pulled his blade out, he found himself on the defensive, blocking Sei's deadly attacks. Even her moves seemed more focused than usual.

"You're arrogant." Sesshomaru said to her after locking his blade with hers. Sei made no facial expressions at all. Usually she would roll her eyes or smile.

"Sure." Sei replied, pushing the demon lord back slightly. Sesshomaru ended up responding by pushing her back with all his might, sending her flying. Sei flipped in the air and landed on her feet perfectly. She pretended to jump at him, but instead, she swung her leg in an arch, watching as her chain wrapped around Sesshomaru's only arm. Sei stomped her foot down and brought him down entirely.

"You won't do it." Sesshomaru commented when he felt her blade rest on the back of his neck.

"No?" Sei asked curiously, pressing harder until she smelled the scent of his blood. It smelled like victory to her.

"You won't." Sesshomaru answered back calmly.

"Maybe I'll just take your other arm off," Sei retorted as she moved her blade to his restrained arm. Sesshomaru quickly turned over and lashed at her with his blade, breaking free of her chains and leaping up. Sesshomaru stopped his attack and realized that she had backed off on purpose. He noticed that she was standing in the shadows, the sunlight resting in front of her.

"You're becoming weaker." Sesshomaru said, straightening his posture. Sei snorted as she pulled her hood up, turning around and walking away without another word being said.

"The light is bothersome, no?" a voice asked Sei. She turned and saw Zankoku leaning against a tree, smirking at her knowingly. The swirling, black demon markings around the corners of his mouth reminded Sei of blood. It looked like he had taken a bite out of something and let the juices dribble from his lips.

"Only when it's blaring in my fucking eyes." Sei retorted sweetly, a smile on her face, but it was a smile frustration.

"Do you really want to transform into a soul-eater?"

"I don't know, Akumu sounds like he's having loads of fun." Sei stated teasingly.

"This isn't a joke, Sei! If you don't stop, I will put an end to you!" Zankoku shouted as he stepped forward, spear pointing at her threateningly.

"Blah, blah, blah! You know as well as I do that you wouldn't dare kill another Shinigami, no matter how cruel you say you are!" Sei retorted, only to flinch when Zankoku reappeared behind her.

"You really don't know anything. If you think that I won't end you, then keep doing what you're doing. I can always make up a great excuse for killing you and I'll get away with it because I'm one of the best ones they've got. They won't punish me. Haha, trust me, I've done it before." He whispered in her ear. Sei frowned at his last sentence. He's done it before?

"Now come on, being in the living world for too long messes with you." Zankoku insisted, opening a portal and holding his hand out to Sei. She snorted as she walked past him, jumping into the portal and deciding that she needed a break. She walked straight to her chambers and sat on the floor, finding her red ball and tossing it in the air, catching it skillfully.

"Zankoku," the boss demon growled when he saw the Shinigami walking by.

"Yes?" he asked curiously.

"You are to watch after Sei and make sure she stays in line. She's been your responsibility all along. The blame will rest on you if anything does happen."

"I know. She's a stubborn one, but I've got her." Zankoku insisted calmly.

"What do you mean I've been his responsibility all along?" Sei asked offensively as she walked out of the shadows. Both Shinigami and boss demon gulped and glanced at one another silently.

"Haha, what?" Zankoku laughed, deciding to play the "We didn't say that" game.

"Shut up, you dick-head!" Sei barked at him angrily. Zankoku nodded and decided that the boss could handle this conversation.

"Sei, every young Shinigami has an older Shinigami that looks after them. Zankoku has been your overseer." The boss answered professionally.

"Well thanks, I always love the assholes." Sei growled distastefully.

"Haha, you've got it all wrong, honey. Well, I'm off to get some souls. Sei, do me a favor…be a good girl while Daddy is gone." Zankoku chirped, disappearing right before Sei's blade made contact with him.

"I hate him." Sei hissed as she walked back to her room.

"Sei, there is some demon that is snatching up souls of his own kin," the boss demon growled after her.

"So?" Sei asked.

"So…go stop him and get the souls yourself."

"Hot damn, I can't even rest for a while…fucking Shinigami rules…fucking boss…fucking Zankoku and his dick moves…hate them all." Sei grumbled under her breath as she ripped open the portal and jumped in. She appeared right where the battle was about to happen. She saw a demon woman with blue hair set three shards of the Shikon jewel down in front of a giant rotting corpse of what looked like a cat demon.

"This is getting old." Sei whispered, going invisible. She turned and saw Sesshomaru standing outside the barrier. He turned his head and watched as his brother wielded the red barrier-breaking blade and smashed the barrier to pieces.

"Give me…your souls!" the corpse snarled as he swung his giant paw, slashing open his own comrades and draining their souls. Sei realized that he had already eaten the three jewel shards and that was what gave him mobility. Sei became visible as a cold breeze stirred.

"Alright, that's illegal, my friend," Sei called out.

"Stay out of this!" Sesshomaru ordered her as he ran after the giant cat. Sei saw Inuyasha jump at the cat as well, only to be knocked back. It was a pitiful scene to watch. The Shinigami saw Sesshomaru leap at the demon, only to get knocked back quite powerfully.

"You're my new best friend!" Sei called at the cat demon. She turned and saw Sesshomaru's eyes turn blood red with rage, but then Tenseiga called to him. Sei heard the sword as well. It wanted to save the souls. Sei wanted to reap the souls.

"They're mine!" Sei barked at Sesshomaru as she ran at the cat demon, her scythe at the ready, but Sesshomaru was faster. He swiped the demon with Tenseiga and saved the souls. Sesshomaru saw the white world engulf him and he turned his head. He saw Sei, but something was wrong. A black shadow surrounded her, transforming into a larger, more menacing beast with piercing red eyes. She…was not…happy.

Sei finally snapped to and let Sesshomaru out of the world. He stared back at her warningly, but Sei was finished. She turned around and saw Zankoku.

"Damn girl, I can't leave you alone at all, can I?" he asked her. Sei exhaled and looked down, holding her scythe on the ground and using it to balance herself out.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha barked, aiming his sword at Zankoku. Sesshomaru was walking away. He had enough of that.

"Come on, Sei." Zankoku exhaled, bringing the girl with him.

The two Shinigami returned to Hell, releasing whatever souls they captured to the boss. Zankoku grabbed Sei's chain on her left wrist and pulled her with him. Sei saw that the male Shinigami was missing a huge chunk of hair on the back of his head.

"What happened to your hair?" Sei asked with a laugh. She knew how much he loved his hair, so this was really funny to her.

"Some asshole attacked me with a knife when I was taking his daughter's soul. He got my hair before I kicked him in the nuts." Zankoku explained, walking into his chambers and sitting down on a stool, handing Sei a knife.

"Do the honors of cutting my hair so it looks decent." He exhaled.

"You're joking." Sei retorted seriously.

"Nope. Can you make it short? You know, so if some guy attacks me again, he can't cut it?" Zankoku asked her. Sei's mouth fell open widely. She took a huge handful of hair and chopped it off. She couldn't believe he was letting her do it, but it did look goofy with a huge missing chunk. When she was finished, Zankoku stood up and looked in the mirror, running his fingers through the shorter black hair thoughtfully.

"Do I look gay?" he asked her curiously.

"Yeah." Sei responded.

"You're not helping." He growled.

"Oh, I didn't know I was supposed to lie. Here, let me try again…naw, you look straight." Sei said with a smile.

"Oh well. Sooooo…you seem to be hanging around that Sesshomaru guy a lot,"

"He just shows up…not my fault." Sei insisted.

"Maybe he wants to bang you…or, here's a thought, you want to bang him."

"Do you want me to shave your head off your shoulders?" Sei asked threateningly.

"What? There's nothing wrong with having sex with the living…Hell, I do it."

"So because you do it, it's fine?"

"Now you're catching on. Let's go." Zankoku ordered, pulling his cloak back on and grabbing his spear. He and Sei walked out of the room.

"So you do like girls, right?" Sei asked.

"Uh…yeah." Zankoku replied with a grin.

"You like men, don't you?"

"Let's just say that I'm an opportunist. Whoever is around is who I'll sleep with." Zankoku explained.

"So you are gay."

"Opportunist. There's a difference."

"Whatever."

Sei pouted as she followed Zankoku around in the living world. She hated being watched. She hated following. She just wanted to be left alone. She went invisible when Zankoku told her to, following him through the dense forest. Sei wondered what he was up to. He refused to explain what the mission was.

"Stay here and watch and learn from the master," Zankoku whispered slyly. Sei saw Sesshomaru sitting against a tree, seemingly sleeping. Zankoku quietly walked out of the darkness, still invisible to everyone but Sei. Zankoku held his spear's blade to where it hovered right above Sesshomaru's head.

"Arrogant prick." Sei murmured when Sei waved to her with a wicked smile pulled onto his face. He lightly traced Sesshomaru's face with the very tip of the spear, leading down to the demon man's neck. Zankoku quickly pulled the spear back when Sesshomaru woke up, looked around and scratched his neck lightly. Once he figured the coast was clear, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

"Heh," Zankoku chuckled as he slowly hooked his spear's blade in the man's robes, jerking the robes open and startling the demon lord once more. Sesshomaru quickly stood up, his golden eyes looking around as he sniffed the air, but no one was around. Sesshomaru pulled his clothing back over his shoulder and did his best to tighten it with one arm before walking away. Sei covered her mouth and tried not to snort. Zankoku motioned for her to follow him quietly and she did.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You're back!" Rin cheered when she saw the demon lord approaching his group. Sesshomaru stopped walking when he felt something poke him in the ass. He turned around quickly. Nothing. Maybe he was just imagining things?

"My lord, is something wrong?" Jaken asked, noticing the thoughtful and somewhat frustrated look upon his master's face.

"No." Sesshomaru replied, only to be poked in the chest by something. He then felt an invisible force tug at his fluff. Sesshomaru immediately began walking, hearing his followers start walking behind him.

"Haha. See? Fun." Zankoku whispered to Sei, who was giggling quietly. She decided to join in and was the one pulling on the fluff. She quickly ran up on Sesshomaru, her chains quiet for her will. She stuck her foot out and watched as Sesshomaru stumbled forward a bit, but he caught himself.

"Nice save…even nicer ass." Zankoku stated as he walked up coolly, sticking Sesshomaru in the ass even harder with the blade. Now Sesshomaru was pissed off. He turned around and glared, waiting for the next thing to touch him. Sei smiled as she reached around with her blade, touching him on the shoulder where his missing arm was. Sesshomaru remained calm.

"My lord?" Jaken called out again. Sesshomaru did not answer. He simply closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. Zankoku began repetitively poking Sesshomaru in the chest with his spear, trying his hardest not to burst into laughter and blow his cover.

"Um, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin called out when she felt herself being picked up. Sesshomaru and Jaken watched as she hovered in the air. Then she began spinning around. She began laughing, as she was being flipped and spun.

"I think it wants to play!" Rin laughed. She was finally put down and when she was on her feet, she was too dizzy to stand, so she fell down, still giggling slightly. Sesshomaru turned his head when he saw the end of his fluff floating as well, moving like a snake towards his face. Sesshomaru closed his eyes when he felt the fluff tickling his face. He drew Tenseiga lightning fast and went to strike, but something tripped him again. He heard snorting and giggling as the two Shinigami disappeared, figuring that playtime was over.

"My lord…are you alright? You seemed scared." Jaken stated, only to be punched in the face by Sesshomaru himself.

AN- It's always funny until someone gets hurt…then it's just hilariously awesome.


	7. Chapter 7

Bark, Scratch My belly, Bark, Bark

Sei slowly trudged through the grass in the darkness. The wind had picked up, meaning a storm was moving in soon. Sei had her scythe hooked on her back, leaving both hands free to move. She also had her hood up to avoid anyone in particular to recognize her face. Sei stopped walking when she felt the familiar chilling breeze brush by her, almost like something was inspecting her.

"You again." A deep voice snarled as the cat-like beast with the bull horns appeared, its red eyes bearing into Sei's.

"Akumu," Sei answered calmly. She saw the creature bear its fangs in a grin-like manner.

"It's been a while since anyone has called me by that name. Tell me your name."

"Sei…it's Sei." The Shinigami answered. She heard Akumu let out a pleased growl as it reached out with its hand, claws gently brushing her hair.

"You are not Sei…she did not have red hair." Akumu answered as he sat down, letting Sei know he was not going to harm her.

"Well, you see, I killed the original Sei when I was a child and I took her place," Sei explained slowly, sitting down as well. She saw an instant sadness in the red eyes of the beast.

"I see. How did you manage to do that?"

"I don't know. She killed me too."

"Hm…strange. So you are now Sei. Well, Sei, just know this…things are corrupt in the Shinigami world. They are not what they should be."

"You're no monster." Sei stated. The cat-like beast grinned again.

"Don't let them hear you say that. Forgive me for not staying longer, but I must leave now." Akumu said as he turned around, his fluffy tail brushing Sei's face as he walked away, the chilled breeze sweeping him into the darkness.

"Hm…what's this?" Sei asked when she saw an explosion in the distance. Sei stood up and ran towards it, sailing over trees with each leap she took. She found a castle with many souls lingering around. They were angered. They were betrayed by a demon whom they thought was their lord, but he was not. Sei made sure to find every soul she could.

Sesshomaru faced Naraku, his sword at the ready. He had finally found him after spending so much time searching for him. Naraku had transformed to try and intimidate him, but it just made him look even more disgusting than usual to the demon lord. Sesshomaru glanced behind Naraku where he saw Sei stalking something on the roof of the castle. She swung her blade, which flashed with a white light before returning to normal. Sesshomaru dodged Naraku's tentacles and glanced back at Sei again, who jumped off the roof and onto the ground.

"Is something distracting you?" Naraku asked spitefully as he lashed out at Sesshomaru, who easily destroyed the limbs and glared at Naraku.

"Great." Sei yawned as she sat down, watching the fight unfold before her. Inuyasha soon joined the party swinging his sword away and making empty threats. Yeah, he could break barriers now, but he wasn't ready for such a fight. Sei jumped up when Sesshomaru was absorbed in a huge mound of flesh. She could sense he was alive and well, but just waiting for the right moment.

"You there, woman, what is your connection to Naraku?" Sei asked when she saw Kagura approaching her. Kagura held her fan up and glared at Sei suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" Kagura asked her with disgust. Sei locked her gaze with Kagura's and slowly closed her eyes.

"Aahh! Wh-what're you doing?" Kagura shrieked when she realized the castle and entire surrounding earth had disappeared, the particles still flying around. Chains had sprung from nowhere and grabbed Kagura and began squeezing her unmercifully.

"You know if I was just some random stranger, then I wouldn't expect an answer, but I am a Shinigami, bitch! A god of death! How dare you act as if I'm some insect! Now, let's be a good girl, and do exactly as I say! Answer my damn question!" Sei shouted as she stormed up to Kagura.

"I'm an incarnation of his…just a tool." Kagura growled in response. She was immediately released and was back at the castle.

"Was that hard?" Sei asked as she walked by Kagura, knocking her shoulder into the wind witch's. She watched as Naraku escaped, leaving an enraged Sesshomaru behind. The demon lord was then informed of Rin's endangerment and quickly turned around to save her. Sei followed to see if any souls would come of it. She had already scooped up quite a bit from the former castle's inhabitants, but she could never have too many.

"Why do you follow me?" Sesshomaru asked when he landed.

"Because I can." Sei replied simply, watching as Kagome ran up, seeing the fallen child and seeing Sei.

"Oh thank goodness, she's still alive." Kagome breathed, eyeing Sei carefully.

"Oh darn, I should've arrived faster." Sei retorted, seeing Inuyasha disarm Kohaku and Sesshomaru immediately pick the disarmed boy up, squeezing his neck powerfully.

"Don't do it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha warned.

"Do it! Do it! Do it! Pop his little head off! Make my day!" Sei insisted eagerly, her chains rattling as she danced in place, her scythe ready for the job. Sesshomaru stared into Kohaku's eyes and found that he wasn't even the slightest bit afraid. Not even in pain.

"Irritating." Sesshomaru grumbled as he dropped the boy, who picked up his discarded weapon and ran away quickly.

"Why didn't you do it? Come oooooon! You're killing me!" Sei whined with annoyance.

"He wanted me to kill him. I refuse to play Naraku's games." Sesshomaru stated as he walked away, hearing the now-conscious Rin awaken and follow after him.

"Damn…that little girl has avoided me so many times. She's definitely on my list." Sei stated.

"Who the hell are you? And why are you always around where people are dying?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up to her. Sei cocked an eyebrow as she stared back him.

"I am a Shinigami. Death is my job." Sei said back simply. Inuyasha blinked as he sniffed her.

"You sure as hell smell like death."

"I can only wonder why I, a god of death, would smell like death. The concept escapes me entirely." Sei said sarcastically as she looked at Inuyasha like, "You're a dumb ass."

"Do you plan on killing people?" Kagome asked.

"Alright, here comes the explanation, and I'll talk slowly so we can all understand…I am a Shinigami. I have the power to kill, but I don't have the right." Sei explained.

"Soooo…you can kill, you just don't." Inuyasha repeated.

"Good job." Sei congratulated, her tone saying anything but "Good job." Sei yawned and disappeared from sight, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone and slightly worried.

Sei found another castle where a princess had died. She took the soul without much fight and heard someone say a woman was killed. Sei walked outside, invisible to everyone and she saw the body being carried out from the castle. She saw a crying woman with blood dripping down the front of her kimono.

"Hey, come on, you have to go," Sei said to her. The woman looked up and shook her head.

"No! No I refuse to go! I have served the lord all my life and he killed me! He killed me for no reason!" she shouted at Sei.

"He will be punished when his time comes. It's your time, so let's go…now." Sei explained quickly.

"You are heartless! I thought Shinigami were supposed to be comforting to the dead!" she shouted.

"So are you going to go or stand here and argue with me about how I do my job?" Sei asked impatiently. The woman held back more tears before finally nodding and agreeing to go with Sei. Sei slashed the woman and took her soul, walking away unnoticed by the living.

Sei walked to Zankoku's chambers and kicked open his door, only to see things she didn't want to see.

"Impatient much?" Zankoku exhaled when he turned his head to Sei as the girl who was riding him moments before quickly covered herself up with her robes.

"Sei!" the girl Shinigami shouted angrily.

"Whoops. I'll feel bad later. You have some explaining to do, Zankoku." Sei stated uncaringly. She saw the man smirk as he sat up, covering himself with a small blanket and chuckling with amusement.

"Alright, I'll bite. What?" he asked coolly, icy blue eyes locking with her lifeless red ones.

"First off, you told me you were gay, so you're a liar, secondly,"

"You told her you were gay?" the girl asked Zankoku with amused disbelief. Zankoku let out a breath and rolled his eyes.

"Opportunist…big difference." He insisted.

"Whatever. Secondly, you were there when I died, so why do you refuse to tell me what the hell happened? Akumu doesn't think I was able to kill Sei and you know what, he knew Sei and he knows you and he knows something else, so tell me what happened!" the red-haired Shinigami shouted.

"I'll see you later, Zankoku. Looks like you've got other things to do." The girl chirped without distress as she stood up, getting dressed and walking out.

"Sounds great." Zankoku replied, grabbing his clothes and walking out of the room, motioning for Sei to follow him. She followed him down to the rarely-ever-used bath. Most Shinigami figured that they were dead…kind of…and didn't give off odor, so bathing wasn't necessary. It was a social activity more than anything.

"So you have issues?" Zankoku asked humorously, losing his clothing and stepping into the warm water until it hit his waist. He turned around and smiled at Sei, who glared back silently.

"You're serious," he said.

"Yes, I'm very fucking serious, Zankoku." Sei growled.

"Ah…you seem tense. Join me." Zankoku insisted, returning to his nonchalant and calming attitude.

"Why can't people just answer my questions? Why? I ask, I want an answer, so why does everyone think it's funny to not answer?" Sei grumbled under her breath as she turned around to walk away.

"I never said I wouldn't answer you, I just asked you to join me so I may explain to you the answers." Zankoku stated. Sei turned back to him and began taking off her clothes, getting into the warm water with him. She looked over and saw that he had the decency to turn around and close his eyes. One point on the board for Zankoku.

"Answers, please." Sei demanded.

"Riiiiiiight…what were your questions?"

"I'm going to strangle you."

"Well, you were yelling and referring to yourself as Sei and referring to Sei as Sei and my brain automatically turns off when shit gets heavy." Zankoku explained smugly, leaning back and looking at Sei patiently.

"Akumu didn't think that I killed Sei and neither do I," Sei began, seeing Zankoku look away and stare at the carvings along the walls of the bathing room.

"No one else was there,"

"You were."

"I was inside, tied up with all of the guards,"

"So you didn't see anything? Anything at all?" Sei asked him. Zankoku looked at her and saw, in those lifeless eyes, something desperate.

"Nothing." Zankoku insisted, wiping his face with both hands.

"Damn…just my luck." Sei exhaled as she crossed her arms. Zankoku saw the scar on her chest and looked away quickly.

"Why are you so curious? Being alive seems like such a drag."

"I'm missing a huge chunk of me. I feel like something has been taken from me…like I should know more than what I do. It's just not," Sei paused, trying to search for the right word.

"Complete. It's not complete. Look, I don't know what happened between you and the real Sei and I don't know your name when you were alive, but I do know something that may interest you," Zankoku said.

"What? That you're an opportunist?" Sei grumbled distastefully.

"Heh, that and the boss had a seal placed on you…right here," Zankoku stated, placing his finger on her forehead and tapping it lightly.

"Is that why I'm so stupid?" Sei asked sarcastically.

"Exactly. It also explains why you're so damn slow…physically."

"Fuck you."

"Oh you will? Now you can make up for ruining my fun earlier, bitch." Zankoku said slyly, making no sudden movements.

"So he had my memories sealed?" Sei asked seriously.

"Yes. And he won't answer any of your questions strictly for that reason. They were sealed for a reason and he will damn sure keep that reason in tact." Zankoku replied.

"True. So, I will never know. I guess that gives me a reason to give up." Sei stated as she stood up, pulling only her cloak on over herself before walking away. Zankoku watched as she disappeared. He exhaled as he sank into the water a little deeper.

"Sorry, Sei." Zankoku murmured.

Sei slowly walked down a dirt road. It was silent except the crying of the citizens, who were mourning their kind lord's death. The Shinigami knew that the funeral was happening in the castle's courtyard and so she took her time getting there, noticing a few people hearing her chains and whispering to one another about the mysterious rattling noise. She walked up the stone path and followed it around the back of the castle, seeing the lord's soul waiting by his body patiently.

"Ready?" Sei asked him. He glanced at his body before looking back at Sei.

"I am." He answered calmly. Sei swiped her scythe and took his soul without much resistance. She tapped her scythe on the ground as she walked away, whistling a little tune. She continued walking for what seemed like hours and found Kagome, who was by herself, splashing cold water on her face, which was red.

"Crying?" Sei asked curiously, seeing Kagome turn around quickly. She wiped her face dry with a towel and let out a small, forced laugh.

"Hah! I don't know why, but yes, I am." Kagome stated with annoyance.

"So…why?" Sei asked with a smile, seeing Kagome eye her suspiciously.

"Inuyasha is a jerk. Plain and simple."

"Did you catch him kissing Kikyo?"

"He might as well have been…I can't believe I just said that." Kagome groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"Um…alright."

"She tried to kill me a while ago and he still chases after her. I just feel betrayed."

"Betrayal…I know the feeling." Sei answered as she stared at the ground with disappointment.

"You do?" Kagome questioned skeptically.

"Well, not exactly, but I feel like the people that I've known for a long time have been sneaking around behind my back and keeping secrets from me."

"Oh. So, what's your name again?" Kagome asked.

"It's Sei."

"Are those chains for intimidation or what?"

"They're useful for restraining people when they refuse to go to Hell." Sei explained, wiggling her left arm and getting the chain to rattle accordingly. Kagome reached out and grabbed the chain, holding it up as she inspected it. How many people had been attacked and killed by these? How many people did Sei lead to the next world with the chains?

"I have to go…I see dead people." Sei stated humorously as she disappeared into thin air. Kagome looked around and found herself wishing that the Shinigami had not gone away so soon.

Sei was sprinting through the forest, dodging the arrow that Kikyo had fired at her. She lured Sei towards her by releasing souls from her body and when the Shinigami was in sight, she began her attack. Sei kicked off a tree and heard two arrows slam into the bark milliseconds later.

"What in the hell are you aiming at, woman?" Sei taunted as she laughed and spun in the air, her chains spinning beautifully along with her. Sei turned around and stopped running, sweeping her blade upwards at an angle, slicing the arrow in half. Sei swung her blade again, chains whipping around and guaranteeing extra protection against the arrow's purification.

"I will be the one to slay Naraku! Not you!" Kikyo hollered, firing another arrow, only for it to be chopped down by Sei once more. Kikyo loaded another arrow and focused before firing it.

"Aahhh!" Sei cried out when the arrow struck her right forearm. Sei dropped her scythe and watched as her arm began rotting away in front of her eyes, right to the bone. Sei ripped the arrow out and tossed it to the ground, dodging another arrow. Sei felt the familiar rage bubble within her and she saw red…then her entire consciousness dissolved away.

Someone who was seemingly talking to her, thinking that she was completely aware, was carrying the next thing Sei knew was real. Sei tried to lean up in his arms, but she was reduced to almost nothing.

"The bitch got you good." Zankoku said with a chuckle as he found an abandoned hut to block himself and Sei from the rain. He set her down and took his spear and Sei's scythe from the strap on his back and set them down. He took off his cloak and removed Sei's cloak as well. He looked at her arm and was no surprised when the muscle and skin had returned, but it was her heartbeat that stumped him. Sei was dead…kind of…in other words, a heartbeat was not normal in Shinigami.

"I'm so fucking cold! Gah!" Sei growled with annoyance. Zankoku held his hand against her cheek and felt her skin was warming.

"Uh oh," Zankoku said.

"Uh oh? What do you mean uh oh?" Sei asked worriedly as she tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by the other Shinigami.

"Just stay here, I'll be back." Zankoku told her as he grabbed his spear, sprinting out of the hut hurriedly. Sei felt her pulse disappear as her body returned to its dead state. She looked at her injured arm, which still burned and stung, the spot where the arrow hit and tore through was visible entirely. She saw Zankoku run back in and drop his spear, shaking the water from his shortened black hair.

"Sei, what happened?" Zankoku asked, staring down at her.

"I saw a bunch of souls and I ran after them. Kikyo ambushed me and shot my arm with a purification arrow." Sei explained.

"And then?"

"I don't know! I passed out!"

"When I found you, the trees around you had been shredded, the ground had huge footprints in it and the atmosphere was freezing cold around you."

"I'm at a loss for words." Sei exhaled.

"Uh, yeah," Zankoku retorted as he sat down, laying down on his cloak and watching as Sei stared at her hands before closing her eyes and snorting.

"This is stupid." She finally said.

Sei woke up the next day and saw that Zankoku had left, taking his things with him. Sei pulled her cloak on and grabbed her scythe, walking outside and quickly holding her scythe up to block Zankoku's sneak attack. He flipped over her head and landed behind her, swinging his leg to trip her, but Sei jumped up and spun around, her chains latching onto Zankoku's arms and spear and restraining him entirely.

"Something's wrong with you. You're never that fast." Zankoku said with a frown.

"You're just mad because I won." Sei retorted, pulling her chains from him and turning around when she sensed a familiar presence.

"Ready for a rematch?" Zankoku asked Sesshomaru, who closed his eyes and snorted quietly.

"Trust me, it won't be much of a match this time around." Sesshomaru stated as he pulled Tenseiga from its sheath.

"Yeah, you look a little tired today," Sei said tauntingly, holding her scythe up, ready for the attack. Sesshomaru leapt at Sei and swung his sword powerfully. Sei blocked it, gritting her teeth when the pain from her recent injury shot up to her shoulder. Sesshomaru noticed Sei back off and switch dominant arms from her right to her left.

"Heh," Sesshomaru chuckled, seeing Zankoku flying after him. Sesshomaru found himself quickly disarmed, but he slashed Zankoku's head from his shoulders with his poisonous claws.

"Aaw, shiiiiiit!" Zankoku's head whined as it rolled away from its still moving body, which was slicing the air wildly with his spear. Sesshomaru quickly recovered Tenseiga and watched the headless body for a moment, just for the amusement.

"Left, left! Your other left! Straight, faster, faster! Here he comes! Duck!" Zankoku directed his body as Sesshomaru tried to finish it off. Sei quickly jumped in and swung her scythe, only for Sesshomaru to block and put great pressure on both arms. As he suspected, she leaned into her left arm, meaning her right arm was injured. It was the perfect opening. Sesshomaru heard something piercing the air and quickly jumped out of the way, watching as Zankoku's spear plowed through Sei's chest, sending her flying onto her back.

"You jackass!" Sei barked as she sat up, ripping the spear from her chest and hurled it back at Zankoku, who was still trying to straighten his head out.

"Sorry, it keeps slanting!" Zankoku barked, finally getting his head straightened.

"You two are ridiculous. You can't fight seriously." Sesshomaru growled.

"You're the one who came looking for us, dick-head! Quit your bitching!" Sei roared angrily as she attacked the demon lord, only to miss him by a hair. Sesshomaru landed on his feet perfectly and smirked. Sei was the one soon smirking when Sesshomaru watched a few strands of his beautiful hair fall to the ground.

"I know the feeling," Zankoku said with disappointment.

"Ahahahahahahaha!" Sei burst into loud, painful laughter as she fell to her knees. It wasn't the fact that she did that to his hair. It was his expression. It showed complete disbelief and she expected the next words to come out of Sesshomaru's mouth to be somewhere around, "Oh hell no you didn't, bitch!"

"Perish!" Sesshomaru snarled, attacking the still-laughing Shinigami, only for Zankoku to block his attack and defend his fellow reaper. Sesshomaru backed off a bit and glared at them. Even though they were already dead, he, Sesshomaru, was going to find a way to make them even more dead…especially Sei. He would be damned if he didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

Scariest Thing Ever

Sei was hanging from a tree, her chains that clung to her wrists were wrapped around a branch, allowing her to dangle and swing to her heart's content. She was quite bored and needed to burn some energy. She had returned to Hell for a little while because Zankoku insisted that she do it. So she did and now she was back in the world of the living and was bored.

"Ahaha, I don't know why, but this is amusing." Sei chirped to herself, swinging back and forth as she slowly flipped her body to where she was upside down. Sei glanced down and saw a young man walking by, carrying a huge sword like it weighed nothing. It rivaled the size of Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga.

"Who are you?" the young man asked, stopping right below Sei and looking up. Sei noticed his black hair tied back in a single braid and she also noticed the marking on his forehead.

"Uh…your worst nightmare?" Sei answered haphazardly. She saw the man smirk as he continued walking away, saying nothing more. Sei cocked an eyebrow as she flipped over, hearing her arms and shoulders snap, giving away at the unnatural pressure. Sei loosened her chains from the branch and landed on her feet, rolling her arms and snapping the bones back in place. She picked up her scythe and walked the opposite way the man was going.

"He was dead." Sei said to herself.

Sei kept walking, sensing Zankoku was nearby doing what he usually did…spy, sneak and be an asshole. She walked in on him doing something she did not want to see. He had another man pressed against a tree, either trying to suck his face off or was that was called passionate kissing? Sei cocked an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, deciding to let them notice her on their own.

"Quit teasing me! You're such an asshole!" the man hissed as he leaned away from Zankoku.

"Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so." Sei announced amusingly, a wide smile appearing on her face when the man and Zankoku quickly turned their sights on her.

"Who is she?" the man asked with disgust.

"Strike two, Sei. What is it now?" Zankoku asked with a heavy breath.

"Unbelievable!" the man said as he fixed his clothing and walked away angrily.

"No, baby, please don't go." Zankoku called unconvincingly.

"Haha," Sei giggled.

"Alright, he's gone, where's the fire?" Zankoku asked with a yawn.

"What? I sensed you nearby and figured I would drop in and say "hi." Are you not amused?"

"No."

"Oh, too bad, I am."

"You're a bitch. I actually liked him, too." Zankoku exhaled with a frown.

"Oops. I'll feel bad later." Sei retorted, waving her hand dismissively at the other Shinigami. Zankoku stuck his tongue out at her before following her anyway. He reached out with his spear and poked her in the back with it. Sei turned and looked at him, still walking.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just felt like poking you."

"You're dumb."

Sei continued following the path of the dead man she had met earlier, beckoning Zankoku to follow her. She noticed he was walking slower and using his spear to balance his weight. Sei stopped walking and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"You mean you don't feel that? Ugh! It's sickening!" Zankoku spat with disgust. Sei felt it; it just wasn't as bad as he was feeling it.

"I'll go in alone, then." Sei exhaled as she continued on the path, noticing the huge mountain ahead. She saw the mist shrouding it and it just seemed so calm. The closer she approached, the harder it was to ignore the pain.

"Are you eager to vanish?" a deep voice asked. Sei turned her head and saw Sesshomaru. Was he not feeling the barrier? Or did he just have a good game face on?

"I saw some guy, a dead guy, walk this way. I was just curious to where he went, is all." Sei answered, digging the blunt end of her scythe into the ground and using it to hold herself steady.

"A dead man, you say?"

"Maybe it was a girl."

"Did this man look like a woman?"

"Nah. He carried a huge weapon though. It almost puts Tetsusaiga to shame."

"I see…hm?" Sesshomaru's head turned instantly in the direction where Rin's scent appeared. He took off towards the scent, knowing Rin was in danger. Sesshomaru heard Sei's chains rattle as she followed him, curious to see what was going to happen.

"Ooh, this looks fun!" Sei chirped, perching on a rock that lay next to a rickety bridge. She looked over and saw another man who was of the dead.

"No wait, that's a girl…no it's a man…why does he look like a girl?" Sei whispered to herself.

"My, my, you are one good-looking man, though, Inuyasha is way cuter," the man chuckled, readying his sword for battle. He waved it and sent out the snake-like blade after Sesshomaru, who easily deflected it, allowing Rin and Jaken to escape onto the bridge. Sei and Rin made eye contact for only a moment before Rin disappeared into the mist, behind her green master.

"Hey you! Do you think you're sneaky?" Jakotsu hollered, flinging his attack at Sei, who turned her head, only to be nailed in the chest by the blade. Jakotsu smirked when Sei's motionless body fell forward.

"She wasn't that pretty anyway." Jakotsu remarked, only to gasp when Sei groaned, sitting up and using her scythe to pull herself to her feet.

"That was cold, man." Sei growled, rubbing her chest where the injury was healing up quickly.

"Who are you?" Jakotsu asked.

"Bitch you attack me and then ask me my name? I don't fucking think so!" Sei barked, attacking Jakotsu without hesitation. She was allowed to kill what was already dead. She stopped running when she heard a scream and the sound of the bridge crumbling into the rushing river below. Sesshomaru leapt over the edge, but Jakotsu wasn't done yet. He lashed his blade and watched as it encircled the demon lord, who once again deflected it, sending it flying back at Jakotsu, who gasped when it merely cut his clothing in half.

"Dead people suck!" Sei called, leaping over the edge as well, falling into the mist and landing in the river…almost. She hovered right above the water and began walking on the river, following the demon lord's scent. She found him and his washed up imp, Jaken, who was pretending to be dead.

"You're not dead." Sei giggled. Sesshomaru stopped walking, turned around and glared.

"Are you pretending to be dead, Jaken?" he asked calmly. Jaken shivered and immediately jumped up, responding to his master's question.

"N-no, my lord! I would never!" Jaken insisted quickly, only to be nailed in the head with a rock thrown by Sesshomaru, who was now walking away.

"My apologies, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken hissed as he ran after the dog demon. Sei flew over the river, catching up with Sesshomaru and smirking.

"Damn, I wonder if she even made it," Sei commented.

"She is not dead. You have yet to take her soul." Sesshomaru replied simply.

"Yeah, but, don't you remember what I told you about people who die in water?"

"You said the rules apply only to the sea. This is a river."

"Which leads out to sea and not only that, it's a very deep river, if her body is at the bottom, there's no hope." Sei retorted. She saw his jaw tighten slightly before he flew away, Jaken latched onto his fluff. Sei realized that he had picked up on a small trace of Rin's scent. Sei smirked and took off running, flying past the demon lord hurriedly.

"The little bitch is mine! All mine! Haaaaah!" Sei called, ripping open a portal and flying into it, disappearing from sight. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he sped up.

"Damn her." He growled with annoyance.

Sei jumped into a small village that settled at the base of the mountain. She saw small kids laughing and singing beside a small house in a field. The Shinigami huffed and walked to the house where she saw Rin and the she smelled the scent of a dead man nearby. As she approached a man walked around from behind the house, carrying medicinal herbs in his arms. He saw Sei and stopped all movement.

"Who…who are you?" he asked, obviously startled by Sei's appearance.

"You, good sir, are dead." Sei stated, hearing men riding on horses approaching. Sei turned invisible and stayed in place as the men jumped down from their horses.

"Suikotsu, you must leave at once! You are no longer welcome here!" the head village man ordered.

"Oh, what a shame, and I was such a good physician to you," Suikotsu replied, dropping the herbs and reveling his clawed weapons, slashing the headman's chest open. The other men gasped as they ran away, the crazed physician chasing them and killing them. Sei whistled as she took the souls of the murdered men, frowning when she saw Rin making a run for it across the field, only to be picked up by Jakotsu.

"Come on, we have to get to the mountain before Sesshomaru shows up." Jakotsu called out to Suikotsu, who turned around and smiled.

"Yes, but first, I have to kill these children," he replied.

"I like how you work, my man." Sei chirped, seeing him glance at her, but he ignored her completely. He raised his claws and went to attack, but something stopped him.

"Just do it." Jakotsu chirped, but Suikotsu could not, for the simple reason that Sei's chains held his arms back from completing the task. She finally let go of him and watched as he and the other walked away, Rin screaming to Sei for help, but the Shinigami remained still. Sei refused to be a hero.

"Something is going on." Zankoku said as he approached Sei, nudging her with his spear. She turned around and frowned.

"Yeah, I know." She replied, pushing his spear down with her scythe. Sei tensed up when he took a step closer, pulling her to himself with his free arm.

"Sei, the boss has ordered the rest of the Shinigami to take you out." He whispered.

"What? Why?" Sei freaked, pulling away from him, thinking he was going to be the one to kill her.

"Because, you transformed into a soul-eater. He doesn't want another one roaming around."

"But you said that we aren't allowed to kill soul-eaters because they are Shinigami! Why am I any different?" Sei hollered defensively as she pointed to herself.

"You were made a Shinigami, you weren't born one. That's why the rules don't apply to you."

"Am I the only one?" Sei asked in a whisper, staring at the grass with disbelief, a gentle breeze rolling through the field.

"Yes…you are the first experiment. And he has deemed you failed."

"That's not fair."

"No, it's not." Zankoku replied softly as he held his spear with both hands. Sei immediately backed up and held her scythe defensively as she glared at him doubtfully. Zankoku quickly dropped his spear and held his hands up.

"I would never kill you. I tease you, but I would never kill you." Zankoku insisted calmly. Sei lowered her blade and huffed. Zankoku slowly picked his spear up and put his arm around her shoulders, leading her into the dense forest.

"We need to stay hidden." Zankoku said as he kept a brisk pace.

"Won't you get in trouble for harboring me?"

"No. He might yell a lot, though."

"Lame."

Zankoku refused to let Sei out of his embrace as he continued leading her through the forest. Sei squirmed and growled when he would try to move his hands to other places, punching him in the side every time he attempted to grope her.

"What? I'm just trying to relax you." Zankoku insisted coolly.

"I'm going to relax my blade right into your face. Let go of me." Sei growled defensively.

"It's better that I'm closer to you. Most Shinigami won't attack in fear of accidentally killing me."

"How do you kill a Shinigami?"

"Um, let's not talk about it right now." Zankoku replied quickly, urging Sei to speed up. Sei noticed that he was beginning to use her more for support than being her shield.

"Let's stop here," Sei suggested.

"No, the closer to the mountain, the less Shinigami to attack you," Zankoku panted. He urged her to keep moving forward, now leaning his weight on her.

"I can't carry you and me at the same time." Sei grumbled, also beginning to feel the effects of the purity of the mountain.

"I'm trying, I'm trying…ugh, I feel so sick." Zankoku whined. Sei stopped walking and helped steady him.

"Just go back. I can go a little further." Sei said to him.

"Don't go anywhere else." Zankoku ordered her as he turned around, walking away from the mountain. Sei turned around and kept walking, noticing that she was able to move further in than she was able to move earlier. It was almost like someone was allowing her to advance further into the territory.

"Weird." Sei exhaled, finding herself now walking up the mountain. She kept on walking, only to have a jolt of pain bring her to her knees.

"Aahh, damn it!" Sei howled as she held her head, the intense pain now focusing in her head.

'Release!' a voice hissed in her head. Sei collapsed on her back as the memories flooded back to her.

000000

A young girl quietly snuck up the stairs. She was supposed to be practicing her exercising moves, but she grew bored and quite curious. She heard servants chatting to one another as they scrambled back and forth.

"Oh, Taiyo, don't let your parents know you're out here, they will be angry," one servant whispered as he jogged by the noble demon child. She nodded and ran to a room, sliding open the door and turning around when she heard voices.

"Shh! Someone's here!" a voice whispered, but there was no one there. Taiyo sniffed the air and looked around with her lively red eyes, but smelled and saw no one.

"Maybe if I try to do that," Taiyo whispered to herself. Her specific bloodline of demon was considered one of the most efficient. Everyone had a different trick up his sleeve. Taiyo closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She opened her eyes while exhaling slowly and was able to see two auras. One was blue and the other was red.

"Who are you?" Taiyo asked curiously.

"Oh…shit." The blue one grumbled.

"How can you see us?" the red one asked.

"Just a trick I can do," Taiyo replied unsurely. She gasped when the two made themselves visible once more. The blue one was now dressed in a shredded black cloak, lifeless blue eyes, long, uneven black hair and black markings around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. He held his spear at Taiyo and poked her stomach lightly.

"And what is your name?" he asked.

"Um…you're in my home…what's your name?" Taiyo asked slowly.

"Haha, she's cuuuuute." The other chirped. She had a scythe in one hand and a single chain wrapped around her left arm. She had white hair and red eyes that were that of a dead person's. She also wore a black, shredded cloak.

"I am Zankoku, this is Sei. Now, what's your name, sweetness?" the man asked, bending down and setting his spear on the wooden floor.

"I'm Taiyo." She answered candidly. She watched as the two intruders looked at one another with expressions that said, "Damn."

"Why don't you go outside and play? It's not safe here." Zankoku suggested her.

"Only if you come with me." Taiyo replied with an evil grin.

"What if Sei goes with you instead?"

"Alright! Come on!" Taiyo chirped, running out of the room, her long, red hair pulled back with a black ribbon. She wore a rich purple kimono that matched her hair brilliantly.

"Sei, don't kill her, we may have some use for her." Zankoku called after his partner as they went separate ways to accomplish their mission.

"Come on! We can play here!" Taiyo said when she saw Sei step out into the grassy field.

"What shall we play?" Sei asked, her white hair flowing in the light breeze.

"Catch me if you can!" Taiyo giggled, running into the taller grass, unaware of Sei's intentions. The white-haired Shinigami grinned maliciously as she held her blade at the ground, cutting the grass and making a path towards the young demon girl.

"Where are you?" Sei called out curiously, red eyes scanning the grass carefully. No answer and no movement.

"I guess I'll sniff her out, then." The Shinigami grumbled under her breath, inhaling through her nose and catching the girl's scent nearby. Sei turned her body and began whipping her chain around in the air before casting it towards Taiyo, who lay in the grass quietly. Taiyo sensed the chain and did exactly what her father had taught her to do. She rolled quickly and jumped to her feet, making a break for it towards the river.

"Oh come on, don't make me chase you!" Sei barked impatiently as she ran after the little girl. Taiyo felt the tears stinging her eyes as she continued fleeing. It wasn't fair. Taiyo sensed the blade coming towards her and turned around, her chest being slashed open, but it wasn't fatal. Taiyo fell backwards and stared up at Sei, who held her blade in the reaping stance.

"Any last words?" Sei asked with an eyebrow cocked. Taiyo felt the tears streaming down her face as she opened her mouth, forcing her voice to work.

"P-please…don't! I haven't done anything!" Taiyo begged.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. It won't hurt at all." Sei replied, bringing her blade down, only for a spear to plow through her chest. Sei's face showed utter disbelief as she slowly turned around.

"I said to leave the girl alone!" Zankoku hollered, running up on Sei and stabbing her in the heart with a dagger. Taiyo recognized the dagger as her father's special dagger that no one but he was allowed to touch.

"You…fucking traitor!" Sei hissed as she fell to her knees, hands grasping onto Zankoku's cloak. He said nothing back, staring into her eyes as the life force was drained from her. Taiyo watched as the Shinigami disappeared into the wind, like a mound of dust being blown away by the wind. Zankoku shook his head and bent down, looking at Taiyo, who backed away slowly.

"No!" Taiyo yelled.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Zankoku said, holding his hand out to her.

"That's my father's dagger! What did you do to him?" Taiyo asked with a sob. Zankoku exhaled slowly as he placed the dagger inside his robes.

"It's better not to ask questions. Come on." Zankoku said to her, holding both arms out. Taiyo hesitated, but she then realized she was all alone now. Did she dare go with the man who killed everyone she knew and loved? She knew she couldn't survive on her own. At least not right now. Taiyo slowly walked to him and was scooped up in one arm while the other held his spear.

"Hold on tight." He said to the girl, who wrapped her arms around his neck immediately. He leapt into the portal and flew back to his boss quickly. He entered the chamber room and exhaled slowly.

"Zankoku, where is Sei?" the demon asked. Zankoku realized the small girl had passed out from shock and blood loss. He glanced at her and then back at the boss demon.

"The young girl was holding the dagger and stabbed Sei with it." Zankoku finally said.

"Really? Damn him…he trained his daughter to slay Shinigami."

"It was more of a lucky shot. Sei got her pretty well, though. I'm going to take care of her until she gets better. I feel bad for her." Zankoku explained.

"The Shinigami of Cruelty feels sympathetic towards the daughter of a Shinigami murderer? Odd."

"She is her father's daughter, but she is not her father. Lucky shot. Here's the dagger." Zankoku retorted as he tossed the dagger towards his boss, turning around and carrying the girl to his room. He cleaned her wound and gave her one of his robes to sleep in. He saw the expression on her face as she slept. She seemed so sad.

"Poor girl. Sorry, but someone has to take the rap for Sei's death and it cannot be me." Zankoku whispered as he stood up, grabbing his spear to return to his soul reaping duties.

0000

Sei was finally released from the pain and opened her eyes, finding she was still unable to move. She groaned as she closed her eyes once more. Zankoku killed the original Sei to save her?

"So it really wasn't…me after all…heh." Sei said in between pants, a grin pulled onto her face. She closed her eyes and felt more memories flooding back to her.

0000

Zankoku returned from his hunt with a few souls. He arrived in the chambers of his boss and stopped walking when he saw Taiyo lying on her back on the floor, Jikan pinning her down with her hand.

"Hey, what're you doing to her? She's traumatized enough." Zankoku said.

"Sei is gone. Someone needs to replace her." Jikan stated as she held the dagger over Taiyo's chest.

"Help me, please," the little girl called out nervously. Zankoku stepped forward, but was held back.

"She doesn't deserve it!" Zankoku hollered, trying to break free from the other Shinigami restraining him.

"She won't remember a thing." Jikan responded calmly, driving the dagger through Taiyo's chest, taking her life. When she was dead, Jikan chanted a few words under her breath while pressing her hand on Taiyo's forehead. The girl's eyes slowly opened.

"Ah, Sei, you're awake," Jikan chirped.

"Sei?" the little girl asked.

"That's your name. Just relax. You're fine now." Jikan replied, stroking the girl's head softly. Zankoku finally shrugged off the two Shinigami and stared at Taiyo, who was now Sei. Her lifeless red eyes held that sadness in them still.

"Ridiculous." Zankoku muttered.

"Since you're so concerned with her, you'll watch over her, now won't you?" Jikan asked Zankoku slyly. Zankoku gave her a curt nod and looked away, scowling slightly.

0000

"Is it normal for you to sleep out in the open like this?" a voice asked, snapping Sei from her thoughts. Sei opened her eyes and stared up at Kohaku, who looked like he was in complete control, unlike the other times where he was under Naraku's spell.

"Uh…sometimes." Sei answered candidly. She looked over and saw the white void child staring back at her blankly.

"You know, you're one weird demon." Kohaku stated. Sei grinned back up at him.

"You've no idea, kid." She retorted with a giggle.

"Naraku has allowed you in. Follow me." Kanna whispered as she walked away. Sei slowly sat up and rubbed her head before standing and following Kanna, hearing Kohaku follow her quietly.


	9. Chapter 9

Why is Important to Me

Sei saw Naraku sitting in the darkness of the cave, seemingly meditating or perhaps he was just weakened at the moment. He leaned against the wall and let out an irritated breath, crimson eyes staring up at Sei.

"Tell me, why are you always around here?" Naraku asked her, his face and neck drenched in his sweat. Sei figured he was really weakened at the moment.

"I'm just waiting." Sei answered. She watched as Naraku nodded at Kanna, who turned and held her mirror up at Sei, showing Zankoku standing alone, four Shinigami surrounding him. Sei saw Jikan and in the old woman's hand rested a dagger. Sei's eyes widened. It was that dagger again.

"I must go." Sei stuttered, turning around and heading out to leave the cave.

"Shinigami, do you want assistance? Surely you can't defeat them all." Naraku said, his voice weak, but it was laced with tempt. Sei turned around and saw him holding a small fragment of the jewel between his index and thumb. Sei held her hand out and caught when he tossed it her way. She nodded to him with appreciation before running out of the cave, ripping open a portal and teleporting to Zankoku's location.

"Zankoku, where is she?" Jikan asked, her voice stern. Zankoku shrugged in reply.

"No clue." And just as those words left his mouth, Sei appeared next to him, her scythe held at the ready.

"I'm right here, bitch." Sei growled through gritted teeth.

"You know, you should've stayed hidden." Zankoku exhaled.

"She's holding that dagger. She wants to kill you." Sei responded.

"No, that's meant for you." Zankoku replied.

"She killed me and that's against the rules. Who's to say she won't kill you for keeping me hidden?"

"Heh, so you remember now, do you?" Jikan asked Sei, who glared at her heatedly. Sei could feel Zankoku staring at her, but she ignored him. Now was not the time to discuss the past.

"Yeah, I do and I will never forget again!" Sei hollered, holding her scythe up to block one Shinigami's attack. She felt Zankoku press his back against hers and use her to plant himself and knock back another reaper.

"You both cannot fight all of us." Jikan said, signaling for the others hiding in the trees to attack. Sei backed up against Zankoku and watched as even more Shinigami surrounded them, weapons at the ready.

"You know Sei, once we get out of this, you owe me…big time." Zankoku said.

"Yeah, just keep your hands away from me," Sei growled in return, hearing his deep chuckle in response. They both fought off the Shinigami, never once leaving the other's back unprotected. Sei used her chains for more mid-range weapons. She blocked and chopped with her scythe and whipped and tripped with her chains. They kept coming, seeing as they couldn't die and Sei already knew that being near the mountain wore Zankoku out, especially because of his cruelty towards others.

"You're done for! Give up now and it won't hurt so much!" Jikan hollered. Sei turned her head when she heard Zankoku cry out in pain, being brought to his knees as he still tried to fight his opponent off. Sei closed her eyes when she heard him cry out again when another blade drove through him. Sei saw red once more.

"You're mine!" Sei hollered, but another voice screamed with her. A deeper, more demonic voice as the black shadows engulfed her body, taking on a bigger, more fearsome shape with blazing red eyes.

"Wh-what the," Jikan stuttered when the black beast towered over everyone. It swung its arm and sent most of the attacking Shinigami flying backwards. Jikan stepped back when the beast turned its attention on her, red eyes narrowing as it got down on all fours, lunging after the old woman. Jikan let out a panicked scream and the beast disappeared, Sei reappearing and grabbing the dagger, stabbing Jikan in the heart with it.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" Sei hissed in Jikan's ears, turning the dagger before ripping it out of the woman's body, which turned into dust as it blew away.

"Who else wants some of this?" Sei asked angrily, holding the dagger up and looking at each Shinigami carefully. They each slowly backed away before disappearing. They just saw the Shinigami of Time, one of the first Shinigami to ever be created, get slaughtered by someone considered "weak."

"Sei, damn it…do you have any idea what you just did?" Zankoku growled, panting tiredly as he slowly stood up. Sei wrapped her arm around his torso and held him up.

"I saved us. That's what I did." Sei answered quietly.

"Take me…take me somewhere so I can rest," Zankoku panted. Sei nodded as she put his arm around her shoulder, helping him further into the mountain's territory. Zankoku let out a whine, knowing his pain would only increase, but oddly enough, it did not. He was actually feeling better. Sei found a small crevice in the mountain and helped her fellow Shinigami inside, letting him situate himself.

"So, you know what really happened, don't you?" Zankoku asked her as he took off his cloak, hands tearing at the other black kimono beneath. He worked until his chest was bare, showing the healing scars of his battle.

"I do. I don't understand why you saved me, though." Sei said, glancing down at the dagger in her hand.

"It just didn't seem right to kill you for something your father did."

"But, I still don't understand,"

"Sei, look,"

"That's not my name."

"Heh…Taiyo," Zankoku said with a small smile. Sei smiled in return. Taiyo. It felt like it fitted her a lot better than Sei ever did, but Sei was what she knew. Sei was what she had gone by most of her life as a Shinigami.

"Zankoku, is there any way for me to get my life back? I mean, I was made a Shinigami, they gave me the powers and name, can they take them back?"

"I've never heard of it being done before, but it is possible. I've heard the boss talk about doing it to you many times."

"Then, call me Sei until that happens." She said as she closed her eyes. Zankoku opened his mouth to tell her it would never happen, but he didn't want to crush her. He saw what happened whenever she got angry. He wasn't going to risk another injury. Zankoku looked down and ran his fingers over his wounds, which were now scars.

"I can't believe you killed Jikan…now your ass is definitely grass."

"She pissed me off."

"Well, I guess we'll be here a while, so we can start working on that explanation and apology a little more." Zankoku said with a smile.

"Fuck that." Sei replied quickly. She watched as Zankoku pulled his clothing back on and then his cloak. He stood up and picked up his spear, yawning slightly.

"Is there anyone other than you around here?" he asked.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Because you don't put out, that's why."

"I'm sure you can find the dead guys around here somewhere."

"Dead guys can't get erections. What's the fun in that?" Zankoku grumbled. He glanced at Sei, who pointed at him, mouth wide open.

"You're dead too! No blood flow! How do you get an erection?" Sei shouted skeptically. She watched as Zankoku walked towards the exit before he turned around and grinned handsomely.

"Because…I am THAT good." He replied smugly before walking out and disappearing.

"Makes no seeeeeeeeense! I hate him!" Sei whined as she held her head with both hands.

Zankoku continued up the mountain, humming a little tune to himself. He was hoping he could find someone. He soon found himself approaching two humans. One was a young monk who was chasing after the woman demon slayer, his hand stretched as he tried to grope her, but the mountain mist sickened him with any impure thought.

"Threesome." Zankoku chirped under his breath as he sped up his own pace. He saw them duck into a cave, seemingly chasing after something. Zankoku did as well, curious to see what they were doing.

"Sango, I think something is following us!" Miroku hissed. Zankoku went invisible quickly and stopped moving. He waited for them to continue moving on before continuing following them.

"Demons!" Sango hollered as she ran at them. They had found a cave with steps and ironically, demons. Zankoku absorbed some of the fallen demons' souls and watched as the slayer and monk fought their way up.

"Damn, she is fit." Zankoku murmured to himself as he looked around the cavern, seeing another woman sitting on the wooden railing, opening and closing her fan. She saw Zankoku and frowned. She recognized the attire worn by the Shinigami, but she figured Sei would be lurking in the shadows, not this strange man, who seemed to be checking her out. His eyes led from her feet to her face slowly, a small smirk etched into his face. He was definitely up to something.

"Hello there." A deep voice purred. Kagura gasped, realizing the man was no longer standing on the other side, but was now behind her. Kagura quickly turned around, raising her fan to attack, but he held his spear's blade at her neck.

"I don't think so…drop it." He demanded calmly, still wearing his arrogant smirk. It made Kagura sick. It was so much like Naraku's smirk. Kagura dropped her fan and glared back silently.

"What do you want?" Kagura asked.

"Cut the shit honey and take me to your boss while you're at it." Zankoku replied, motioning for Kagura to lead the way. She picked up her fan and began walking deeper into the cave, hearing Sango's frantic screaming of Miroku's name. Zankoku yawned a few times, whistling a tune or two while approaching the man responsible for Sei's transformation. The only time a Shinigami was to transform is when it had tasted the pleasure of killing a living being. Anger was not a natural trigger for transformations.

"What are you doing, Kagura?" a tired voice growled.

"I didn't have much choice." Kagura replied calmly. Zankoku saw the man slowly stand up, his robes falling from his pale body. Zankoku felt his eyebrows slowly rise. He had quite the body for a lazy ass.

"You're the one Sei saved, aren't you?" Naraku asked, keeping calm and trying not to show that he was still weak, but Zankoku wasn't an idiot.

"And I'm sure you're just the innocent bystander. Do us all a favor and quit dicking around like a coward. Here, you can have this back," Zankoku stated icily as he tossed the jewel fragment that he took from Sei when she was helping him. Naraku caught the fragment and shrugged a bit.

"I've no clue what you're talking about." He said.

"You used that to make her transform."

"I simply gave it to her to assist her and nothing more."

"Yeah, right and my hair is green."

"Did Sei get her sharp tongue from you? Heh, I must say, the timing and tone of voice is almost the same between the both of you." Naraku stated, bending down and finally pulling his robes up to cover his body. Zankoku pouted a bit. Everyone had to spoil his fun.

"I guess so. Anyway, leave her alone or else you'll be dealing with me."

"Hah…love…such a dreadful bond, isn't it?" Naraku asked, his voice showing some anger. Zankoku turned back around and frowned.

"Hey, look, I don't love her, I do, however, care about dip-shits like you trying to ruin her."

"I suppose you're telling the truth. Even now you continue to stare at me with desire. Do you wish to bed me?"

"Yes I do. And you and yes, even you, little ghost-girl. Oh, and you too, boy." Zankoku chirped in reply, pointing from Naraku, to Kagura, to Kanna and finally Kohaku. He saw Naraku glare a bit, as if angry at his response.

"You're disgusting." Naraku stated.

"Nah, I'm just horny. There's a difference." Zankoku replied as he disappeared into the darkness. He reappeared in the cave where Sei lay, still sleeping with a saddened look still etched onto her face. He exhaled and poked her with his spear.

"Mm, sleepy." Sei grumbled.

"Come on." Zankoku said back.

"No."

"I'll carry you."

"Fine."

Sei frowned when Zankoku stopped walking. He was carrying her on his back so when he stopped he nudged her awake by moving his shoulder. Sei opened her eyes and poked his face, digging her finger into his cheek.

"What now?" she asked him, pulling her finger back when Zankoku turned his head and attempted to bite her finger.

"Time for you to walk." He said, letting her down on her feet. Sei yawned loudly as she continued following him. She felt the wind pick up suddenly, which was odd. Zankoku stopped walking, resting his spear against his shoulder as he looked up at the darkening sky as the storm clouds moved in. Sei held her scythe with both hands as she looked up as well.

"Sei, I think we're in deep shit." Zankoku said slowly. Sei exhaled, but Zankoku grabbed her wrist and began running, pulling her with him.

"Keep up! Whatever you do, don't stop running!" He called out. Sei finally broke free of his grip and stopped running, turning around and holding her scythe up defensively.

"Damn it, Sei! You can't beat them!" Zankoku hollered as he ran back to her, stopping beside her and staring into the forest. Both Shinigami went quiet when they heard a giant footstep and a growling voice. The wind was now icy cold and whipping around wildly. The sky was dark with the storm clouds and Sei watched as the leaves on the trees began to wither away. The grass on the ground began to die as well and the trees became bare and dead.

"Zankoku…who are they?" Sei asked.

"Don't worry about their names. They don't even have names." He replied darkly. They heard another low growl and saw a giant paw print stamp into the ground. Two giant dog-like creatures appeared. They had gleaming red eyes, long fangs that dripped with acidic drool and they had the same body shape of a soul eater. They walked on all fours, but their back legs were longer than their front ones. Their fur was black as night.

"They're soul eaters." Sei said, taking a small step backwards.

"Yes," Zankoku answered.

"Why are they sending soul eaters after us?"

"These soul eaters were created to kill Shinigami who have overstepped their boundaries."

"Created by who?"

"Probably Jikan and the other originals."

"Great." Sei grumbled, hearing her partner's amused chuckle. Both Shinigami took a step back, only for the two dog-like soul eaters match them by stepping forward and continue walking forward slowly, snarling and growling to one another.

"Shit!" Zankoku snapped when one soul eater disappeared and reappeared behind him and Sei. He quickly turned around and swiped with his spear, canceling out the beast's claws. Sei was pounced to the ground by the other soul eater. She held her scythe's staff part in its mouth and kept the creature from biting her, but its drool was falling onto her and burning her slightly. She saw Zankoku powerfully tackle the soul eater that had her pinned, knocking it on its side.

"Keep your guard up." Zankoku demanded sternly as Sei shook off the shock and readied herself for another attack. She ran at one soul eater and leapt onto its back, swinging her arm and watching as the chain wrapped around its neck. It let out a howl as it stood up on its hind legs to try and throw her off and loosen the chains from its neck, but Sei brought her scythe's blade down on its shoulder, slicing its left arm from its body.

"Wooo! Over here, big boy!" Zankoku called out to the second soul eater that was about to help out its partner. Zankoku grinned when it took the bait and jumped at him. Zankoku jumped in the air and drove his spear down into the back of the soul eater, hearing it yelp with pain. He pulled his spear out and turned around, driving the weapon back down into its neck, almost severing its head from its body. Zankoku pulled his spear out and noticed that it had stopped moving entirely.

"Your ass is mine!" Sei barked, swinging her scythe and hacking the soul eater's right leg off and sending it onto its stomach. She pulled her chains from its neck and brought her blade down, stabbing it in the top of the head and watching as the beast quit squirming entirely.

"Wow, that was…a lot easier…than I thought," Zankoku breathed as he walked up to Sei, who was also panting. She nodded with agreement and patted Zankoku's shoulder. They both turned around and were not surprised when they saw one soul eater's arm twitch as it began moving. The soul eater that was missing its arm and leg pulled its missing limbs back onto its body as it snarled.

"I knew it." Zankoku grumbled, readying himself for another round. Sei also held her scythe up and focused on the soul eater she had once hacked into pieces. It eyed her and pounced with lightning quick speed. Sei swung her scythe and sliced off its jaw, spinning out of its way and hacking off its back right leg once more. Sei quickly turned around when she heard another roar.

"Aahhh! Damn it all!" Zankoku cried out when the soul eater he was battling had clamped down on his shoulder and right arm with its jaws. Its drool began to burn his skin and Zankoku began to panic even more when the soul eater's fangs began glowing a heavenly blue glow as it began purifying the male reaper. Zankoku saw a dagger fly into the soul eater's temple and the creature blew away in the wind like dust.

"Get down!" Zankoku ordered as he picked the dagger up and flung it. Sei ducked and watched as the dagger hit the soul eater in the head behind her. It turned to dust like the one before it.

"Thanks…hm?" Sei saw as Zankoku fell to his knees, gripping his injured shoulder. Sei ran to him and knelt down beside him.

"I'll be fine. It just stings like a mad bitch." Zankoku hissed. Sei picked up his spear and the dagger and waited for him to catch his breath and stand up.

"Hey, what're you two up to?" Someone asked curiously. Sei turned her head and saw Rin slowly approached them.

"You know, just hanging out." Zankoku hissed as he collapsed onto his back to take a breather. He saw Rin look at him and Sei without fear at all.

"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be braiding Sesshomaru's hair or something?" Sei asked, poking Rin in the stomach with her scythe. Rin giggled and held her hands over her stomach.

"Haha, that tickles. Lord Sesshomaru went into the mountain. He always leaves me alone with Master Jaken." Rin replied, her face becoming sad towards the end of her statement.

"Awe shit." Zankoku groaned when he realized what the little girl wanted. She wanted playmates.

"Sooooo…what? You hungry or something?" Sei asked Rin, her face showing utter boredom and confusion. Rin opened her mouth, but immediately closed it and looked down, shifting in place a bit.

"Uh, yes, a little bit." Rin answered quietly.

"Do we have to?" Zankoku asked.

"Yeah, we might as well," Sei said as she helped Zankoku up, handing him his weapon and looking down at Rin, who smiled up at them.

"Alright, lead the way," Zankoku said to Rin, poking her in the stomach with his spear.

"Hahaha, that tickles!" Rin laughed.

"Lead us to the food and we'll get it for you." Zankoku repeated.

"You mean you don't know where to find food?" Rin asked curiously. Sei and Zankoku looked at one another with faces that said, "Say what?"

"Um…we don't eat." Zankoku answered slowly.

"I do, but I steal it from people." Sei chirped. Rin scratched her head as she turned around.

"Let's find a river or stream, first." Rin announced, feeling a cold breeze fly by her and seeing Zankoku leap into the trees.

"Found one!" Sei called out, swinging her arm and wrapping a chain around Rin's waist and flying off as well. She heard the girl screaming happily, laughing and clapping her hands as she was dragged in the air behind Sei, who followed Zankoku to the nearest river or channel. They had never fished before, so this should prove to be interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

I'll Hide Behind A Smile and Understanding Eyes

Sei stared off into the starry night. She was waiting for Zankoku to return and give her an idea of what was around. She wished he wouldn't leave her alone, but he did what he wanted and Sei had to respect that. She wasn't a defenseless child…anymore.

"It's quiet tonight. Maybe they gave up." Zankoku stated as he walked up to Sei, who remained sitting against the tree, staring up at him before nodding. Something wasn't right in the air. Sei was getting a terrible feeling.

"It doesn't feel safe." Sei said back.

"Sei, no one is around. Calm down."

"I am calm, I was just saying."

"Alright." Zankoku replied coolly.

The next day, Sei found herself crossing the path of an eerie old woman. She looked dead, but Sei knew she wasn't. But still…she just looked odd. She wore all kinds of beaded jewelry and hand random beads and bones of small animals held in her gray hair.

"You there," The woman said, pointing at Sei, who froze entirely. She was cloaked. No one of the living was supposed to see her.

"Yes?" Sei answered, curious to see what the woman wanted. The old woman stood up and became at least ten feet tall. Her pale, wrinkled skin stayed wrinkled, but was now a gray color and her eyes now red. She still wore the same shredded and dirtied white kimono with the various beaded and bone-decorated jewelry.

"You have a curious atmosphere about you. Would you like me to read your palm?"

"Haha, you're joking, right?"

"I do not joke about my abilities. Your hand, give it here,"

"Just don't eat it."

"Oh my, it looks like you need some assistance. Would you like some?"

"What? Are my hands dry?" Sei asked dryly, taking her hand back.

"No, no, I am not done," the old woman said with a chuckle. Sei rolled her eyes but held her hand out anyway. The old woman placed a charm in her hand. It was a cat shape carved out of bone from what Sei figured was the bone of a cat demon.

"Will this really help?" Sei asked.

"As long as you keep it in your possession, it will help."

"I'll hold you to it. What do I owe you?"

"Mm, nothing. Kindness has never been needed to be repaid." The old woman said as she walked away from Sei.

"Uh, fine." Sei replied. She wondered just what a silly bone-cat charm could bring her in a time of need.

Sei continued walking through the forest, wondering why she hadn't been attacked yet. It was odd. She had killed the Shinigami of Time, one of the first to ever be created. Sei thought that the entire Shinigami force would be after her, but it was like they were waiting for something.

"Damn, this is irritating." Sei grumbled, blowing a strand of hair from her face. She didn't really understand their reasoning for not taking her out right now. She was alone. She was completely off-guard.

"Strange, isn't it? How we continue to cross paths, I mean." A familiar voice stated. Sei felt a chill go down her spine as she turned around, seeing the demon lord approaching her, calm and relaxed, meaning he didn't want to fight…probably.

"They say that a living being that crosses the path of the same Shinigami more than three times is destined to have his soul taken by it." Sei lied. She felt like making up some epic shit, just to see what his response would be.

"Heh, as if I would allow my soul to be taken by the likes of you." Sesshomaru replied haughtily. Sei rolled her eyes. She was expecting a little more than that.

"I'll put in a request for you so that someone else can get your soul for me." Sei giggled sadistically.

"Tell me something,"

"Something."

"I have been paying quite a bit of attention to your path lately,"

"Stalker."

"You seem to be running. From what?"

"A lot of things. I have issues and they make me insane."

"I see." Sesshomaru answered before disappearing into the trees.

Sei found Zankoku, who had run off to do his thing and to try and spot anyone or anything heading their way. Once more, he told Sei to relax and that no one was trailing them. Sei nodded and said nothing, but she knew they were watching her every move. Waiting for something, for a sign.

"Oops, I guess I lied," Zankoku chirped when two Shinigami appeared. They had their hoods up, which hid their faces. They pointed at Sei and motioned for her to come with them. Sei smirked as she held her scythe up protectively.

"Uh, negative, boys! You think I would spend all of this time running away just to give up? Oh no, you're going to have to do every possible thing you can to make me go anywhere." Sei announced through gritted teeth. The two other Shinigami nodded as they pulled out their weapons. They held a battle-axe and a bow and arrow. Long range and short range.

"I get handsome over there with the bow," Zankoku whispered. Sei nodded as she waited for him to distract the archer before going after the axe man. Zankoku slashed away an arrow and Sei ran after the axe man. She slashed his weapon from his hand and swung her leg, catching the archer's leg with her chain and pulling him down.

"Run Sei! Here comes the cavalry!" Zankoku ordered.

"Not without you!" Sei yelled back.

"I'll be right behind you, I promise!" he said back. Sei nodded and ran away, following her nose to the salty ocean. It was close. She wished it wasn't. She felt boxed in with the water's edge.

"Pick up the pace! Don't let her escape!" a voice ordered from the distance. Sei cursed under her breath as she continued running, preparing herself to fight off whoever and whatever got in her way.

"Run Sei! Keep going! I'm right here!" Zankoku shouted from behind her. Sei continued sprinting and leaping over fallen trees and boulders in her way.

"Shit! They are not playing around today!" Zankoku hissed when an arrow flew by his head and hit a branch. Sei whipped around and slashed another one, still running.

"I expected this, so it's whatever to me!" Sei shouted back. She wasn't angry. Nor was she surprised. She just wished it would all end. Sei saw something flying at her from the side and she jumped in the air, swinging her arm and letting her chain whip the unsuspecting Shinigami in the side. He let out a shout of pain, alerting his allies that they were not too far ahead.

"Zankoku, they have us boxed in!" Sei stated with worry.

"It's alright, I promise! Give me the dagger! They won't search me for it!" Zankoku said. Sei nodded as she handed him the Shinigami-slaying dagger and continued jogging alongside him.

"Damn it!" Sei whined when they came to a large cliff that hung over the ocean that crashed and roared below. The army of Shinigami surrounded them and held their weapons at them threateningly. Sei knew that she and Zankoku could possibly run over the water, but then it would be a matter of time before they released monstrous creatures from the deep to drag them both back to Hell. Shinigami had no rule of the deep waters, but they still had "pets" living there to make sure their word still meant something.

"You are surrounded! Give up!" a man shouted as he made his way to the front. He was an older looking demon, but Sei never remembered seeing him…ever.

"Seiryoku, it's been a while," Zankoku stated with a chuckle. Sei saw the other man's face turn red slightly as he looked away for a moment.

"Cut the shit. Sei, Shinigami of Restraint, you are coming with me and my friends here," Seiryoku stated, his dark green hair pulled back in a nice topknot.

"Uh, no." Sei retorted.

"Either come with us or die."

"I'm already dead, dumb ass!" Sei shouted back defensively.

"He meant he'll erase you from this world entirely." Zankoku whispered.

"I don't give a damn what he meant! I am NOT going anywhere! I will stay right here and there's nothing you pussies can do about it! I'm king of the castle and you're all dirty rascals! Come and get me!" Sei taunted, readying herself for a serious ass kicking, but to her surprise, no one moved. Seiryoku smiled evilly as he took a step forward, his lifeless red eyes shinning with amusement.

"My dear, you are all alone. There is no way you can win. Step down honorably." He said.

"Kiss my ass." Sei growled back. Seiryoku sighed heavily as he turned around.

"I told the boss that I would try my very best to bring you back alive, but he will just have to deal with your soul instead." Seiryoku said, looking over his shoulder and nodding.

"Yeah, whatever! I'll totally," But the rest of Sei's sentence was cut short when the familiar burn of a blade ran through her heart. She dropped her scythe, feeling the cold run through her veins as blood surfaced in her mouth.

"Sorry kid, you are not worth me wasting everything I've worked for." Zankoku stated, pushing the blade deeper into her heart. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. What was going on?

"Y-you…bastard!" Sei hissed, grabbing onto Zankoku's cloak and trying to find the strength to punch him.

"You should've just given up, then I wouldn't have had to do this." Zankoku said back to her, ripping the dagger out and stepping back.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a liar. I will rip your mind out and burn your soul before I show any kind of sympathy for you. Everything I've done was for the boss." He answered, the familiar chill set back in his voice. Sei looked up and saw the bright blue sky as she fell backwards off the cliff. Her body hit the water and everything went black.

"Hey, why didn't she turn to dust?" Zankoku asked, waving the dagger expectantly.

"That dagger works differently on Shinigami who were once alive, I suppose. It gave her life and then it took it away. Her soul should show up on our shore soon enough." Seiryoku answered as all of the Shinigami disappeared and returned to their duties.

"It's been a while. Want to…you know?" Zankoku quizzed, cocking an eyebrow as Seiryoku looked around to make sure no one else was around.

"Let's make it quick." Seiryoku answered as he jumped away to find a more secluded spot to thank his long-time friend for the help.

Sesshomaru walked along the beach, knowing he smelled Naraku's scent there. It had to be his scent. Then, another scent caught his attention. The scent of blood. He looked out at the ocean and saw someone floating. Their heartbeat was slow, almost completely gone. He saw the red hair and immediately recognized it as Sei.

"How?" Sesshomaru asked under his breath. He waded into the water until it almost hit his chest. He grabbed the girl by the white sleeve of her torn, now white kimono. Her skin almost matched the tone of the kimono. Sesshomaru finally pulled her onto the beach and knelt down, shaking her awake. Sei coughed up some water and looked up at Sesshomaru, her eyes tearing up until she finally passed away. Sesshomaru frowned. Now she was dead and a few moments ago she was alive, but before that she was neither dead nor alive. What the hell was going on?

"I suppose I'll ask her." Sesshomaru stated as he stood up, pulling out Tenseiga and reviving her, unknowingly pissing off every single Shinigami that spent so much time to get her soul, only for her to be untouchable now that she was alive.

Sesshomaru sat in the shadows, watching as Jaken and Rin cooked their catch of the day. Sei lay next to the fire with a blanket pulled over her. The demon lord narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what had happened. She had no scythe with her and the chains that were once shackled to her ankles and wrists were now gone.

"My lord, are you sure it is safe to be around this Shinigami?" Jaken asked curiously.

"She is no longer a Shinigami if my suspicions are correct." Sesshomaru replied simply.

"And they usually are, my lord, don't get me wrong, but I still think it dangerous to have revived her. We didn't know what she was capable of before and now, who knows?"

"I knew exactly what she was capable of before and I'm sure her mouth and thinking process haven't changed." Sesshomaru retorted coldly.

"Man, fuck you." Sei's angry growl sounded grumpily.

"Do not talk to my lo-"

"And you can shut the fuck up! I swear I'll kill you!" Sei barked at the imp, who immediately shrank onto his back.

"So you're awake. I thought you were." Sesshomaru stated. Sei looked over at him and frowned slightly. He saved her. She knew it. But she really, really, really, REALLY did not want to thank him. Really.

"Thank…you." Sei said through gritted teeth.

"I believe you owe me more than a simple "thank you" and I'm sure you agree."

"I've never given a blow job before, so I am definitely not the person to ask for."

"I wasn't going to ask for one."

"Oh…I don't do sex either. That's Zankoku's spe…THAT TREACHEROUS RAT BASTARD! I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL HIM! AAAHHHHHH!" Sei roared as she jumped up, a tree being instantly knocked down from an invisible force.

"A bakeneko…a cat demon with the same powers as a fox demon. Rare. I knew there had to be some underlying reason as in why I could not stand you." Sesshomaru stated coolly. Sei rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning, Sei crossed her arms and tried to ignore Rin's intrusive questions and demanding that she "turn into a kitty" because Sesshomaru decided to let the "cat out of the bag" and let it slip that she was a cat demon.

"Lord Sesshomaru said you are a cat demon, so turn into a kitty." Rin said, as if it were that easy. Sei had no clue how to control her powers. She didn't even know what she could do.

"No." Sei replied.

"Unable to?" Sesshomaru asked from the front of the group as he continued leading them through the forest.

"Yeah, pretty much. Too bad." Sei announced uncaringly, her arms still crossed as she sat on Ah-Un's back. She was too tired to walk.

"Cat demons are so lazy." Jaken stated.

"Short green little imps have small dicks." Sei shot back.

"What's a dick?" Rin asked. Sei saw Sesshomaru stop walking and turn around, ready to kill someone. Sei motioned for him to let her handle it.

"It's a myth." Sei said.

"What's the myth about?" Rin asked back. Sei panicked when she heard Sesshomaru's growl as he reached for his sword.

"Have you ever played, "The Game" game?" Sei asked the little girl. Rin shook her head in the negative.

"How do you play?"

"Alright, you can't think about "The Game" and when you do, you lose. So make sure you don't think about the game."

"So what's a dick?"

"Can you sing?"

"I sure can! Want me to?" Rin asked excitedly.

"I sure do. Go for it." Sei giggled. Rin began singing a cute little song about flowers, completely forgetting about "The Game" and dicks. Sei looked over at Sesshomaru and grinned widely. Short attention spans were so much fun.

AN- Sorry it took a while.


	11. Chapter 11

I Don't Believe

It had been a long while since Sei regained her life back. She found it odd that she had not run into any Shinigami, but she was sure that they were watching her. Sei had also spent this time practicing her different abilities and figuring out what she could do. Sesshomaru had also taken a bit of curiosity about her abilities and, from time to time, he even gave her advice.

"Well, I think I need to find my element," Sei said as she stopped for a rest. Sesshomaru sat in the shade and looked up at her questionably.

"That would be wise. Foxes typically use fire as their element." Sesshomaru replied as he stood up, Jaken and Rin immediately aiming to follow him. Sei brushed a few wrinkles from her white kimono as she followed, holding one hand palm down and the other hand beneath it palm up. She started with them together, focusing all of her energy to flow to her hands.

"Sei, can you turn into a kitty yet?" Rin asked innocently. Sei felt her energy immediately dissipate as she exhaled, looking down at Rin with slight irritation.

"No." she answered, placing her palms back together, this time holding them horizontal. She inhaled slowly and began focusing her energy again. This time faint memories from Zankoku stabbing her reappeared. She let out a feral growl as she felt the energy dissipate again.

"You mustn't let your emotions overwhelm you. They will only get in your way." Sesshomaru said as he continued his path, never once turning around. Sei exhaled as she tried it once more. This time she spaced out and before she knew it, she was holding a ball of energy between her palms. It must have been something impressive because Sesshomaru actually stopped walking and had turned around, his golden eyes focusing on the energy ball.

"Hah…now what do I do with it?" she asked with slight displeasure. She preferred a scythe, chains and otherworldly powers over a ball of energy anyday.

"Figure it out." Sesshomaru replied as he turned back around and continued following his path. Sei let her anger towards the Shinigami world completely cut off her focus, making the energy disappear.

"I think I don't have a specific element." Sei stated aloud.

"Who cares?" Jaken asked.

"Your mom." Sei spat back, ignoring the rest of the imp's outbursts towards her. She was used to it now. Sei looked down at her kimono and decided that she needed to change her wardrobe…now.

"Uh, I'm going this way," Sei announced as she turned left. She immediately felt two arms wrap around her waist.

"No, no! I don't want you to go! Lord Sesshomaru, make her stay!" Rin cried hysterically.

"Shit, let go! I'm coming back!" Sei growled at the child.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called out calmly. The little girl looked up at Sei, tears streaming down her face. She turned around and followed her lord without another word being said.

Sei giggled as she raced through a human village, hurriedly grabbing clothes that she felt were more suitable to fight and lounge in. Once she found what she wanted, she found a nearby stream and washed the clothes in it. The clothes were a deep, dark red with golden, swirling designs on them. Sei hung them from a tree and let them dry as she waited patiently, practicing on controlling her energy.

"Why, hello again. How funny to run into you again, Taiyo." A familiar voice chirped. Sei turned her head and narrowed her red eyes. It was the creepy demon lady that gave her the cat-bone charm. She was in her "old human woman" form. Almost completely pitiful.

"I never told you my name." Sei said to her skeptically.

"I already knew it. So, you're alive…I guess my charm worked." The woman said, a toothy grin appearing on her wrinkled face.

"I hate being alive! I thought I would like it, but I hate it! I like being a Shinigami better!" Sei shouted angrily.

"Do not lie to me. Lie to yourself, but do not lie to me." The woman growled back sternly. Sei calmed herself and looked down.

"What do you want from me? Payment? Amusement?" Sei asked.

"No. Just an update and you are doing just fine. Nothing to worry about." The woman replied as she disappeared into the shadows.

Once the clothes were dry, Sei put them on. She had the robe part tied closed and pants pulled up to her waist over the robe. It was an all red outfit that hit her curves well, but not tightly. Sei also found some arm-guards and strapped them both on over her long sleeves. She also found black boots that stopped right below her knee. They were big on her, but she was able to pull straps tightly and get them to fit her better. Not perfectly, but better.

"Now I have to go back and try to turn into a kitty." Sei growled humorously to herself as she jumped away. She instantly caught Sesshomaru's scent and someone else's…someone familiar.

"Sesshomaru and…Naraku? I hope they're having gay sex." Sei chirped, wishing that either man would do something that she could make fun of, but alas, all she could do was poke fun about their perfection. Sei slowed her pace when she appeared in the clearing, seeing Sesshomaru standing over a woman who was sitting on the ground, surrounded by flowers. Her lifeless red eyes spotted Sei and smirked.

"I guess it's my time to go," Kagura murmured. She saw a cloaked figure in the field as well and frowned. Sei instantly saw the woman's confusion…and she heard chains rattling slightly.

"No way," Sei whispered to herself. She saw Sesshomaru's Tenseiga and took off running after him. She saw him look at her and frown, as if wondering what was going on. Sei's hand latched onto Tenseiga as she yanked it out of the sheath, turning around and closing her eyes as she focused her energy. She opened them and immediately saw the red aura of something standing by Kagura, ready to grab her soul.

"I don't think so, bitch!" Sei howled, swinging the sword, hearing the blade clash with the reaper's scythe harshly. Tenseiga emitted a heavenly blue glow, which illuminated all that was unseen. There was a woman wielding the scythe and she also hand a chain wrapping all the way up her right arm.

"Bitch? Who are you calling bitch?" the woman barked, swiping at Sei, but the cat demon dodged quickly and held the sword defensively.

"Is your name Sei?" Sei asked curiously.

"Yeah, what of it? I'll definitely remember you. I'm sure the boss knows exactly who you are." The new Sei stated smugly, her lifeless red eyes matching what Sei's looked like when she was a Shinigami. This girl had black hair that had a red gleam to it. The new Shinigami turned around and giggled.

"Maybe I'll just ask Zankoku," she added on. The reaper found herself screaming in agony when Sei held her hand out and blasted a ball of raw energy at her back.

"Snitches get stitches, bitch! Your ass isn't going to leave unscathed!" Sei growled as she ran up to the unarmed Shinigami. Sei took the reaper's left arm and slashed it off with Tenseiga, hearing the girl's scream of agony as the holy blade burned her flesh.

"You tell Zankoku and all your other friends that the old Sei is right here, waiting for their dumb asses! Oh and this arm is my arm now, bitch. I've always wanted a backscratcher." Sei snarled as she walked away, walking up to Sesshomaru, who was completely lost. He saw the whole thing, but he thought Sei was Sei, not the other girl.

"She is Sei, you're Sei…any other Sei I should know about?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"My real name is Taiyo, but if you ever call me that, I'll take off something that you'll miss more than that arm." Sei stated threateningly.

"Why do you want to keep the name that traitors gave to you?"

"If they want the name Sei back, they're going to have to come get it. Sei is MY name and this is MY arm." The cat demon stated arrogantly as she turned around, waving the severed arm as she began walking away. She stopped when she realized that she had fucked up a really sad moment.

"Oh yeah, sorry about your fuck toy or whatever she was." Sei stated to Sesshomaru, who glared at Sei so icily, the girl actually shivered.

Sei was actually glad that she decided to take the Shinigami's arm. Rin refused to go anywhere near Sei when she had the arm and she never asked her to turn into a kitty. That was two positives, not to mention Sei could get those hard-to-reach spots on her back with the arm.

"Haha, I really have to hand it to myself. This thing is pretty damn handy. I hope I can HAND-le this kind of power. This is the coolest thing ever…hands down! Haha, high-five to myself! Aaaaaaand I'm out of hand puns. Oh, wait, I had to pay an arm and a leg for these clothes. Yeah I'm out of puns." Sei chirped. Sesshomaru remained quiet, Rin giggled slightly, Ah-Un growled with boredom and Jaken let out a hissing breath.

"Why must you carry that around?" Jaken asked Sei.

"So I can do this! Face-palm! Slap!" Sei cheered, swinging the arm and slapping Jaken with a force to be reckoned with.

"You will stop this nonsense." Sesshomaru finally warned.

"Yeah, I'm done." Sei yawned as she turned over, soon falling asleep.

For the next few days, Sei worked on transforming into her true form. She promised Rin that she would try to turn into a cat. It was rumored that a bakeneko could perform the same tricks as a kitsune, including different transformations and magic tricks and pranks.

"Damn, I feel like an idiot." Sei exhaled as she continued trying to unleash her power to transform. Sei let her energy flow throughout her body and her demonic aura soon surrounding her. Sei let out a happy yip, which turned into a roar as she found herself in her true form. She was a huge cat, almost a tiger. Her fur was mostly white with some strands of crimson red flowing through her fur. Sei let out a small growl as she turned her massive head, looking at herself, down to her long tail. She was about seven feet tall on all fours.

"Kittyyyyyy!" a familiar voice scream excitedly. Sei turned her head and saw Rin running towards her. Sei lowered her body and let Rin climb onto her back.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Sei is a kitty!" Rin exclaimed happily, sitting on Sei's back. Sesshomaru walked up slowly and saw Sei yawn with boredom.

"Do you know how to transform back?" Sesshomaru questioned. Sei gulped. No.

"Run!" Rin chirped. Sei's tail twitched side to side before she stood up, taking a leap forward, feeling Rin grab onto her fur, giggling happily. Sesshomaru watched as Sei slowly pranced around in a circle, occasionally stopping to shake her butt and almost shake Rin off, but not quite.

"Thank you!" Rin giggled as Sei sat down, letting Rin slide down her back and softly plop onto the ground.

"It's a lot more difficult to transform back into your humanoid form than going into your true form." Sesshomaru told the large cat. Sei stared down with her red, slit eyes, tail twitching as she purred lightly.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked when she continued staring at him blankly, still purring. Sei lowered down and tried to pounce on the demon lord, but he skillfully leapt out of the way.

"You will do well to watch yourself around me." Sesshomaru warned, but he saw the cat still in pouncing mode, growling at something angrily.

"Oh, Sei, hello there," Zankoku chirped as he walked out of the shadows, his spear held with both hands. Sei let out another growl as she took a step towards him.

"Or should I call you Taiyo?" the man quizzed curiously. Zankoku shouted when a giant paw sent him flying into a tree.

"Aah! Sei, stop it! Sei!" Zankoku shrieked when her fangs sank into his legs as she pressed her paw on his back, keeping him from being able to fend her off. Sesshomaru sent Rin to safety when Zankoku let out a cry of agonized pain when he felt a sharp pain in his thigh and then heard a sickening pop as his leg came off.

"Aaahhh! Fuck meeeee! What the hell is your problem?" Zankoku cried as he turned over, realizing she took his right leg and still had it in her jaws.

"Sei, what are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked. The cat dropped the leg and her demonic aura surrounded her as she transformed back into humanoid state. Zankoku had pulled his leg back on and stood up.

"Goddamn you!" Sei howled as she ran at Zankoku, kicking him between the legs and striking him in his most beloved place on his body. Zankoku grunted as he fell back to the ground as Sei kicked him in the crotch once more.

"You bastard! You bastard! Fuck you! Aaahhh!" Sei screamed as she continued kicking and punching him. She fell to her knees, panting with fatigue as she stared at the agonized reaper. She had nothing to kill him with.

"Sesshomaru, go. I'll catch up later." Sei stated calmly. Sesshomaru turned around and left. Sei was no longer his liability.

"Ow, ow…Sss…Sei," Zankoku groaned as he reached out to grab her arm, but Sei pulled her arm back and glared heatedly at him.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Sei snapped. She watched as a small smile crept onto his face. He reached up and traced a now-visible black demon marking on Sei's cheek. She had three, thin stripes on each cheek and they looked like whiskers.

"Sei, I know you're angry, but don't be angry anymore. We can't touch you now. You're able to live a long life. Why are you making everything worse?" he asked her as he slowly sat up. He saw her jaw tighten as she continued to glare at him. She grabbed his cloak and slammed him on his back, pressing her knee into his stomach powerfully.

"I trusted you! I trusted you to help me, to back me up and you threw me away like I was a piece of trash! Yeah, I'm really fucking angry!" she snarled at him. Zankoku grunted as she pressed her knee into his abdomen even harder.

"Sei you were outnumbered! You wouldn't have lasted two minutes!" Zankoku growled back through gritted teeth.

"And what's with this new reaper? You guys replaced me already? And she knows you and obviously thinks you're a friend?"

"We needed a replacement. We always need a replacement when we lose a Shinigami."

"I didn't see anyone replacing Jikan!"

"Because they're trying to find someone experienced! To give a new Shinigami the power of time is a terrible idea!"

"I…hate you." Sei finally exhaled as she stood up, backing away from Zankoku slowly. He sat up and rubbed his stomach, looking at her worriedly.

"No, no you don't." Zankoku stated.

"No, you don't understand. Quit following me. Stop sending people after me."

"Sei, I did it to save you. I had to pretend to not care to keep myself safe as well."

"Because you're a liar. I remember. You are a liar."

"Sei,"

"I'm serious…I hate you so much."

"You…have…no idea what I've done, what I've sacrificed for you! I killed the original Sei and saved you! I tried to keep them from turning you into a Shinigami and when that happened, I was always there to make sure you were fine! I stabbed you with the dagger that kills Shinigami, but it was your father's dagger! His fang! He wouldn't kill his own daughter!" Zankoku shouted when Sei began to walk away.

"You killed my entire family! You killed your partner! You killed me! How am I supposed to believe you when you do whatever is necessary for you?" Sei asked back. Zankoku shook his head as he looked down, trying to think of something else to help prove his loyalty to her.

"Plus, I'm alive and you're from another world. We can't be friends, even if I wanted to be." Sei said in a low voice.

"Who do you have to help you? Sesshomaru? Oh yeah, he'll definitely sympathize with you. You have no one except me and you know it."

"You killed me. Stabbed me. Let me fall off a cliff. And you said that when a Shinigami is eliminated, there needs to be a replacement, right?" Sei asked.

"Yes." Zankoku replied.

"So why is it you left me, a child alone, injured and helpless, knowing that they were looking for a replacement for Sei?"

"I…didn't think they would use you. You were a child."

"I still think you planned this. You told them I killed Sei, when you did it. You're planning something and I'll find out what it is and I'll make sure it doesn't happen." Sei said before jumping away, leaving Zankoku by himself.

"If that's how you want it to be, that's how it will be…no one else will have your soul. It's mine." Zankoku growled as he stood up, grabbing his discarded spear and ripping a portal and jumping back to Hell.

Sei arrived at the camp that Rin and Jaken had made. Sesshomaru was gone, apparently he didn't ever return. Sei sat down, sighed heavily and stared off into space as Rin and Jaken avoided her entirely. They figured she was in a deadly mood. But little did they know that she just needed a hug and a nice, warm, freshly cooked fish.


	12. Chapter 12

Fall From Grace

Sei stared up at the night sky. She was using the claw on her index finger to trace patterns and shapes with the stars. Sei crossed one leg over the other and continued tracing with her finger.

"Hm…who's there?" Sei asked as she quickly sat up, red eyes looking around carefully. She could've sworn she heard something rustle in the trees surrounding her. It was as gentle as the wind, but there was no breeze that night. She closed her eyes and exhaled.

The next day, Sesshomaru stood in the clearing of the forest. The wind was blowing restlessly and storm clouds were moving in, but there was something else bothering the demon lord. The smell of fire was in the wind. He decided to track the source and see what was going on in his territory.

"What is going on?" Sesshomaru asked when he approached the battlers. Three cloaked figures stood around a single person. The first thing Sesshomaru noticed about her was her black spiky hair.

"Well if it isn't my best friend…what the hell are you doing here, asshole?" the girl spat at Sesshomaru threateningly. The demon lord glared in return. The girl wore sunglasses; therefore he could not read her face well.

"Your fight is with us, bitch!" A familiar voice barked as one cloaked figure attacked the girl, scythe lashing at her.

"Heh, bring it!" Shana laughed evilly as she kicked the scythe out of the new Sei's hand. Shana spun around and with two fingers, she wielded a small flame that slashed the reaper's arm off.

"Aaahhh! Damn it!" Sei howled as she watched her remaining arm hit the ground. She was still unable to find the one that the old Sei ripped from her. Shana's boot stomped on the severed arm powerfully as Shana grinned arrogantly.

"It's my arm now…bitch." Shana stated coolly.

"Don't stand there! Get her!" Sei hollered at the other two Shinigami. Sesshomaru instantly recognized one as Zankoku, but something seemed different about him.

"You remind me of someone and I can't stand her!" Zankoku shouted as he held his spear up, stopping time entirely. He saw Shana, frozen in time, then her sword pulsed with irritation in relation to its master's mood. Shana cracked her neck and smirked.

"I can travel through time, my good sir. It's not a boundary for me." Shana chuckled as she stuck a victory cigarette in her mouth. She flicked the end of it and it instantly lit.

"We'll see about that," Zankoku growled back as he let time flow once more. He looked at his other partner and nodded. This partner was tall…very tall and his hood was pulled over his head so that his face was hidden from darkness. A few strands of ash-gray hair fell forward as he concentrated. Shana watched as chains wrapped around her body, binding her arms to her torso.

"Wh-what the," Sesshomaru stuttered when he realized that he, the three Shinigami and battling Shana had been transported into a completely different dimension. It was like they were lost in space. Stars were distant and lit the battle ground.

"What now, bitch?" Sei laughed arrogantly. Shana smirked as she spit out her cigarette.

"Do you think that I can be trapped by bonds? Hah! I get off on that shit! Here I come!" Shana stated as she jetted blue flames from her feet, rocketing herself towards the three Shinigami. Shana flipped forward and broke Sei's chains with the force of her fire and shot a bolt of lightning, striking Sei in the chest. The reaper screamed as the voltage coursed through her armless body.

"You," The mysterious reaper said, turning towards Sesshomaru, who readied himself for an attack.

"Don't worry about him," Zankoku demanded.

"He has a sword that can kill us. We must eliminate him." The Shinigami replied as he flew at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru immediately pulled Tenseiga from its sheath and Shana pulled Daiki from her sheath.

"Whoa buddy, what's happening?" Shana said when her blade turned red. She looked over and saw Sesshomaru's blade glowing blue.

"Damn, you dogs really know how to keep one interested, don't you?" Zankoku asked with a chuckle. Shana and Sesshomaru moved closer and decided to team up and fight each other for dominance later.

"The wheel of fate is turning, Heaven or Hell," The unnamed Shinigami stated in a low voice.

"Let's rock!" Shana interrupted as she leapt at Zankoku, Sesshomaru deciding to take on the mysterious one. Since the new Sei lost both arms, she wasn't considered a threat as much as she was considered a joke.

"You know nothing of life, immature half-breed," Zankoku hissed when his spear collided with her blade.

"Haha, I only know about my life and it's going my way! What more could I ask for from the universe?" She replied haughtily as she kicked his side and shot him in the back with a flame.

"Ooh! Almost!" Shana laughed when she quickly turned around and kicked Sei in the face with her boot.

"I do not wish to fight with weapons," The nameless Shinigami said to Sesshomaru.

"Heh, do not confuse me as of right now with myself in a good mood. You yourself stated that I should be eliminated and therefore, I will eliminate you first." Sesshomaru retorted.

"I see. Then know that I understand your reasoning." He replied calmly.

"Understand this!" Shana barked as she swung her blade, a chunk of rock from space colliding with the less violent of the three Shinigami, sending him flying through space.

"You understand this…this is my world…I control everything here," his voice echoed. Shana frowned as she looked over at Zankoku.

"You see, my friend Shihai here is the Shinigami of Control. He literally controls everything he pleases." Zankoku explained. Shana got into a stance and glared through her sunglasses.

"No one can control me or an outcome favorable to me! I never lose and I will not start now!" Shana growled as the jagged, crimson stripes tore into her face and wrists. Sesshomaru watched as she motioned for him to give her Tenseiga. Sesshomaru tossed it to her with no regret. The sword was garbage to him. Shana flew over to Sei and slashed her with Tenseiga, hearing her pained scream as she faded into dust.

"Who's next? Line up, kiddies! And no cutting!" Shana chuckled, her demonic aura now surrounding her.

"Zankoku, we must leave," Shihai said as everyone was returned to Earth.

"Damn…fine." Zankoku exhaled as he disappeared as well. Shana tossed Tenseiga back to Sesshomaru and sheathed her own sword, her demon blood receding and her markings disappearing.

"You're my witness, they ran away, not me." Shana said as she crossed her arms with boredom.

"Why were the Shinigami attacking you?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Oh, this one dude with green hair walks up to me and tells me that I don't belong here and that I needed to get the fuck out and I said no way. He holds up a dagger to my throat and asks me if I understand what the word "disappear" meant and I said, "Yeah I do, let me demonstrate," and I punched him in the face…after I grabbed his dagger and prison shanked his bitch-ass." Shana explained, leaving Sesshomaru slightly confused. He could make out most of what she said, but there were some parts that left him confused.

"Uh, who the hell are you?" Sei asked when she saw the spiky-haired half demon. Shana yawned in reply, keeping her arms crossed loosely.

"Why does everyone care about who I am?" Shana asked out loud.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with your strange clothing and strange references." Sesshomaru replied calmly.

"Oh snap, he has jokes," Shana retorted dryly.

"Aahh! The dagger!" Sei shouted, seeing the handle sticking out of Shana's right pocket. Sei went to grab it, but Shana stepped to the side and jabbed two fingers into Sei's neck and followed with another jab with her other hand to Sei's lower back. The red-haired cat demon fell motionless to the ground, face-planting forcefully.

"Wh-what's going on? Why can't I move?" Sei shrieked.

"Hahahaha! Did you see her wipe out? Epic." Shana chuckled, leaping up onto a tree branch and relaxing on it.

"Bitch…give me…my dagger!" Sei growled as she slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees. Shana leapt back down and pulled the dagger out from her pocket, thumping the blade into Sei's back.

"Aaah! Aaah! Take it out!" Sei hollered.

"Alright," Shana replied innocently as she ripped the blade out.

"Not that fast, damn it!"

"Fine, I'll do it again." Shana stated, driving the blade back into Sei's flesh, sending the cat demon back onto her stomach.

"You fucker!" Sei cried with pain as Shana ripped the blade out one last time.

"Heh, that sounded dirty," Shana chuckled, turning around and seeing Sesshomaru eyeing her suspiciously.

"Have we met before?" he asked her.

"Only a couple billion times." She replied, seeing Sei slowly get to her feet.

"My dagger, now!" Sei shouted.

"I don't see your name on it." Shana retorted.

"Fine…then I'll take your sword!" Sei laughed as she ripped Shana's sword from its sheath as she jumped backwards, putting distance between her and Shana.

"That's cool." Shana said with a shrug as she turned around and walked away slowly.

"Daiki, come," Shana ordered coolly and Sei watched with disbelief as the sword she held onto disappeared and reappeared in its sheath on Shana's hip.

"How did she get it?" Sei hissed under her breath.

"She explained to me that she ran into a Shinigami with green hair and she took it and slew him with it." Sesshomaru said simply.

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Zankoku…the name of the one who betrayed you, no?"

"Yeah,"

"It seems he has a new power. The girl mentioned his ability to control time." Sesshomaru stated, watching Sei's face fill with fury.

"That asshole! I knew it!" she shouted angrily.

"Explain yourself."

"He told me a few days ago that the boss was looking for a replacement for Jikan, the Shinigami of Time. I killed the original and now Zankoku has taken her place…typical Zankoku."

"You seem envious."

"I'm pissed…there's a difference."

Sei went out to find Shana and get her dagger back from the girl. Sei was thinking that she could offer Shana something. She didn't know what, but she knew that the girl had to be interested in something, otherwise why would she be there? Sei stopped on the edge of a village and watched as people, women, men and children alike ran screaming from their huts. Shana walked out of one hut with a bowl and chopsticks, idly eating the contents.

"What?" Shana asked, not even bothering to look at the approaching Sei as she ate the rest of the food.

"You killed the one with green hair?" Sei quizzed.

"Correction…I made that one my pretty little bitch."

"Well, thanks. I hated him with a passion."

"The black-haired one, I think they called him Zankoku…he's next on my list."

"He ruined my life, my life as a Shinigami and then he's ruining my life again…his ass is mine." Sei replied darkly. Shana took her sunglasses off and looked Sei in the eyes. Empty golden eyes met fiery red ones.

"Sounds like you've got something on your mind for him." Shana said.

"He…is…mine. No one else is allowed to destroy him."

"Don't tempt me, but if you insist," Shana sighed, handing Sei the dagger. Sei took it and looked at Shana with curiosity.

"Uh, just like that?"

"We've got company," Shana announced, turning her body and staring down the road where Zankoku and the monstrous Shihai stood.

"Shit! It's Shihai!" Sei hissed.

"Pfft. You're scared of that pussy?" Shana asked harshly.

"You talk quite a bit," Zankoku laughed as he started walking towards the two demon girls.

"Fuck you!" Sei spat angrily.

"You have no room to be spitting," Shihai began only to be interrupted by a blue flame that aimed right at the ground in front of his feet.

"If I want to hear you talk, I'll shove my arm up your ass and work your mouth like a puppet!" Shana barked she pointed at Shihai threateningly.

"Such insolence." Shihai growled.

"Your mama!" Shana shouted back.

"Enough! Let's end this!" Zankoku stated as he ran at Sei, swinging his spear at her, only to barely miss her as she dodged, swiping at his face with the dagger.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall." Shihai mumbled when Shana slowly made her way towards him.

"If only I had a dime every time I heard that one," she replied, taking a simple fighting stance. Shihai flew at her, his fist cocked at the ready. Shana jumped to the side and watched as his fist dented the ground. Shana landed behind him and swung her own fist sideways, a blue fiery whip lashing out and striking Shihai, sending him to his knees.

"What's wrong, Sei? Has living gotten to you already?" Zankoku taunted as he grabbed Sei's arm and slammed her back against a hut. She went to punch him, but he dropped his spear and grabbed her other wrist, pinning it above her head.

"Still as slow as ever," he sighed with a chuckle. Sei struggled against him, but he was physically stronger than her…as usual. She could never defeat him.

"What makes you so full of yourself? I have never seen such arrogance!" Shihai hissed at Shana. She chuckled as she crossed her arms.

"I'm a Goddamn American and I can say, do or think whatever the fuck I want. Now quit distracting me, I'm kicking your ass." She said with a smirk as swiped her hand downwards and sent out an arc of flames meant to cut Shihai in half, but he dodged and allowed only his arm to be hacked off.

"I am getting tired of this "Cut my arm off" shit! Get back here, butt fucker!" Shana roared as she chased after Shihai. She then remembered Sei and stopped, turning around and seeing the girl fight against Zankoku, but he pinned her arms with one hand and grabbed his spear with the other.

"This will be the second time I have killed you and this time you won't be coming back. Haha, I promise." Zankoku whispered in Sei's ear.

"I'll destroy you…I promise." Sei responded sternly, her eyes blazing into Zankoku's lifeless blue ones. He saw her smile as she waited for him to finish her off.

"God gave you style and gave you grace…and put a smile upon your face." Shana recited as she walked up to the Shinigami.

"Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you." Zankoku warned Shana, but she continued her leisurely approach. She picked up the dagger that Sei dropped and began spinning it skillfully through her fingers.

"Release her." Shana ordered as she aimed the dagger at Zankoku's back.

"Why do you interfere?"

"Why do you not follow my fucking instructions? Let her go…now!" Shana barked, her voice sending shivers through Zankoku and Sei. Zankoku let go of Sei and backed away slowly. Shana tossed Sei the dagger and stepped back.

"Let's settle this once and for all." Sei announced as she turned and faced Zankoku. The male reaper gulped and nodded in agreement as he readied himself for a fight. He ran at Sei who ran back at him in return. Whichever blade struck the other was the victor. Zankoku knew his spear's blade would strike first, but something hot and forceful struck the back of his left leg. He let out a shout of pain as he fell to his knees, seeing the dagger thrust into his chest.

"N-no way!" Zankoku coughed. Sei watched as he turned to dust, the particles blowing away gently.

"Hoorah! That was nasty." Shana laughed calmly.

"Who are you?" Sei barked irritably. Shana grabbed the handle of her blade as she stood up.

"My work here is done. If anyone asks, it wasn't me." Shana said, disappearing in a red flash. Sei frowned as she looked down at the dagger in her hand. She felt a tear trail down her face. She didn't mean to kill him. Now she really was alone.

"I'm sorry Zankoku." She whispered.

Sesshomaru looked up when he heard Sei's slow and heavy footsteps approach the camp. He saw her gently place the dagger inside her robes as she sat down slowly.

"Yay! Sei is back!" Rin cheered. Sei exhaled as she closed her eyes, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Rin watched as the small, domestic-sized white cat with crimson markings mewed as she walked over to Rin. The cat purred sadly as she curled up in Rin's arms.

"My lord, I think Sei is sad about something." Rin stated innocently as she petted and cuddled the cat.

"Ha! She just wants attention. Typical cats." Jaken insisted harshly.

"Be silent." Sesshomaru ordered. Sei slithered out of Rin's arms and slowly made her way over to a grassy spot. She curled up and closed her eyes.

"Maybe she is hungry." Rin said.

"She will eat in the morning." Sesshomaru responded calmly, taking one last look at the cat before closing his own eyes.

AN- Shana is a BAMF. I swear, if I hear one complaint about how she seems to show up everywhere, I will go on a murderous rampage and I'll start with the complainers.

Also, people are asking about the sequel to Warning: This Is Not An Acid Trip. I did write and post a sequel, but I went through this phase called, "My writing sucked big ones," and I cleaned and deleted some of my stories, including the sequel to that one.

Sorry, I guess you'll just have to deal with her random appearances in my other stories.

Some of the quotes from this chapter are from songs, so let's not make a big deal about it.


	13. Chapter 13

Obsession

Sei yawned as she licked her paw with boredom. Her ear twitched when she heard something rustling in the bushes before her. Sei remained in her small cat form, tail flicking with curiosity. Her red eyes watched as a taller beast crawled out, growling as it licked its lips.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," the monster growled as its clawed hand slowly reached out for Sei. The small white cat leapt out of its grasp and hissed threateningly. Sei opened her mouth and shot out a red energy sphere, blasting the monster away.

"Haha, I'm getting really awesome at this," Sei giggled after transforming back into her humanoid state. She had already figured out that when in her demon cat form, she could transform different parts of her body into different things. She could sprout wings and turn the end of her tail into a blade. Sei could also fire balls of aura at will. She was starting to like it a lot better than being an undead Shinigami.

"Hm?" she hummed when she felt a twinge. Something evil was not too far away. Sei giggled at herself. She just dubbed something evil, as if she wasn't evil herself. The cat demon took of running to see exactly what was going on. She closed her eyes and focused on her own aura before snapping her eyes open. She could see through the trees, seeing the life aura of every living creature as she sped towards the giant, almost black, aura. She also caught another aura.

"Why is he always around?" Sei growled when she realized it was Sesshomaru's. She could tell he was either really pissed off or really pissed off just by the way his red aura was raging like a fire.

'You will watch him die.' A dark voice hissed angrily. Sei appeared on the scene, but she was frozen in place, surrounded by chains only visible to her.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," Sei growled as she struggled to get free.

"Sesshomaru! No!" Inuyasha hollered frantically. Sei looked up and saw that the demon lord had been stabbed through the chest by another demon that Sei mistook as Naraku, but this demon had white hair, lipstick and was very evil. What bothered Sei the most was that his aura wasn't emitting from his body, but from an entity floating above him instead.

"That's odd…oh yeah, Sesshomaru just got killed," Sei grumbled uncaringly, glancing at him momentarily. She actually felt slightly bad for him. He seemed like he was having one of those days.

"Heh…you are weak." The evil demon stated with a smirk.

"He could totally kick your ass dude!" Sei shouted. She saw the demon turn his head and glance at her angrily. Sei smirked knowingly.

"Yeah I said it!" Sei continued, trying to buy Sesshomaru some time when she noticed he was still very much alive.

"Foolish girl." The demon snarled, turning back to Sesshomaru, who had gathered enough strength to continue the fight. He escaped from the tentacles and released his aura, his wounds healing immediately.

"What? What? What? Oh you've gone and fucked up now! Now you fucked up! Now you fucked up! You have fucked up now!" Sei shouted just to be an annoyance. She then felt the chains around her tighten as she was dragged into a portal below her.

"You have broken Shinigami law, boss." Sei growled when she realized she was standing in his chambers. The large demon glowered at her angrily as he slowly reached out with a clawed hand.

"And you have murdered Shinigami, which gives me the right to do what I please with your life," he snarled in return. Sei and the boss demon took a moment to glare and think up better comebacks in their heads before deciding to speak to one another again.

"You have no proof." Sei said.

"You have the only weapon known to kill a Shinigami."

"The only known, you say? I know of another," Sei replied simply. The boss demon's yellow eyes narrowed before he replied.

"And why would Lord Sesshomaru slay a Shinigami?" he asked.

"Because he has the ability. Don't forget, you have to see me kill one or there has to be another Shinigami around to testify and it was just me and Zankoku…and the crazy bitch."

"This is true…I shall set you free."

"Are you going to send more after me?"

"What do you think," were his last words before Sei found herself back in the world of the living. Sei exhaled as she walked away calmly. She had a feeling that he wasn't going to let her go that easily. She was sure that he was going to harass her with Shinigami, trying to get her to kill one more. When he wanted a soul, he would get it one way or another.

"You think he'd just wait for me to die of natural causes." Sei exhaled hopelessly.

The boss demon growled with discontent as he tried to think of a way to bring Sei down. He knew of several different ways, but it wasn't like she was going to be walking into Hell on her own will anytime soon. He closed his eyes and remembered Sesshomaru's Tenseiga. He knew of Sesshomaru's short temper and wielding that sword made him dangerous.

"I wonder if I could bring him and Sei here and dispose of those weapons myself…damn you, Byakko. Even in death you continue to haunt me and now it's through your daughter." He growled, summoning his team of Shinigami to set his plan in motion. He will get Sei's soul.

Sesshomaru vigorously chased the shadowy creature, which had stolen Rin right from Sesshomaru's sight. It was nighttime and the young girl had been sleeping and was snatched by the creature. Now Sesshomaru was tired, pissed, agitated and a bunch of other negative things put together. The only upside was he now had his left arm back and a brand new sword to try out.

Inuyasha panted as he ran through the forest, following Kagome's faint screams of terror. He also heard Kirara's roar behind him as the cat demon kept close by with his friends riding along on her back. A dark demon had stolen Kagome from their campsite as she slept. It was so fast and unnoticeable.

Sei yawned as she prowled through the grass early the next morning. She was in her small cat form, walking around and trying to find some kids to feed her. Could she get her own food? Yes, but she was much too lazy. She found a small hut where a family lived on the outskirts of a village. She mewed innocently when the husband stepped outside to get some fresh air.

"Hm? A white cat with red markings? That's not normal." He said when he saw Sei sitting in front of him patiently, her tail flicking slowly. She mewed again and yawned.

"Is this a sign of luck? Tell me, are you hungry?" he asked. Sei reared up on her back legs and pawed the air eagerly. The man smiled as he walked inside, grabbing a small fish from his catch the previous day. It was much too small to satisfy him and his family, so he figured the cat would enjoy it. Sei purred as she stripped the fish of the meat.

"Will you bring me any luck at all?" he quizzed after Sei finished the fish. The man gasped as she disappeared into smoke. He rubbed his face to make sure he was awake and just as he reopened his eyes, Sei had returned with a huge wagon. She sat atop it proudly, purring as the man opened the carriage, finding the numerous silks and gold bars littering the inside.

"Th-thank you! Uh, where'd it go?" he questioned when he realized the cat had disappeared.

Sei continued prowling around in the forest, sniffing and wondering what to do next. She heard someone call her name and she turned her head, seeing the demon lord himself advancing towards her, sword drawn. Sei's ears flattened as she hissed at Sesshomaru warningly to let him know she wasn't down for games. He pointed his sword at her anyway and glared.

"Your mess has spilled into my path." He stated icily. Sei transformed back into her humanoid state and frowned.

"What mess?" she asked him.

"Your situation with the Shinigami world has now interfered with me."

"Um…sorry."

"Not yet, you're not. Tell me, what will the Shinigami do with two human girls?" Sesshomaru asked as he sheathed his sword.

"Nothing." Sei answered truthfully.

"I refuse to play games with you."

"They won't do anything to humans. They're obviously trying to bait you." Sei explained.

"Bait me where?"

"To Hell. When you willingly step into their world, they can do with you what they please." She said.

"Why the sudden interest in me?"

"Tenseiga. They don't like the fact there are two weapons on this Earth that can destroy them."

"I see. And why would they take Inuyasha's wench?"

"The priestess? Isn't it obvious, dog-breath? They want to get rid of all threats, so obviously Inuyasha is considered a threat because he is your brother and they assume he can also dispose of them."

"Absolutely ridiculous."

"That's why they've been in business for so long. They are full-proof."

"You will get me into Hell." Sesshomaru demanded.

"Haha, that's easy, just kill yourself." Sei giggled in reply.

"There is a way of entering Hell without taking my life and you will lead me there."

"Uh, no. Find it yourself." Sei growled, only to find the cold blade pressing against her neck and golden eyes blazing into hers.

"Fine." Sei agreed reluctantly. There was a problem…she didn't know any entrances to Hell. She was never told in case she was to ever get into the position she was now. She knew there was a main gate and a few different secret entrances, but they were secret for a reason.

"Hey, Sesshomaru, don't kill her! She might know a way in!" Inuyasha demanded as he arrived, sword at the ready. Sei noticed a slight roll of Sesshomaru's eyes.

"He beat you to it." Sei announced with a toothy grin.

"We're going with you!" Inuyasha insisted as his friends arrived. Everyone looked at Sei expectantly. She decided now was the time to inform them.

"I don't know where any of the entrances are." She admitted. She immediately got the feeling that she was about to get her ass beat.

"Why do you insist on making this harder than it needs to be?" Sesshomaru asked as he aimed his sword at her once more.

"No! I really don't know! I was an experiment, so they never told me!" Sei insisted truthfully.

"The Shinigami know that I know you and they want us to willingly enter Hell, so you are the missing piece. Who do you know who may know of the entrances?" Sesshomaru said. Sei knew she was caught. She looked down as she tried to think of someone who may know. Zankoku was gone and he was the only one who was in Sei's court, even if it was a lie.

"I may know someone, but I don't know how to find her," Sei stated.

"Find her." Sesshomaru ordered. Sei let out a huge breath and nodded slowly. She sniffed the air and then decided to try and find her aura. Sei focused and immediately saw all auras around her. She took off running, leaping in the air and trying to spot the old woman's aura. The woman seemed to know everything about Sei, so maybe she possibly knew where the entrances to Hell were.

"There!" Sei breathed as she spotted the old demon woman's aura next to a pond. As she landed, the gray-skinned demon woman turned to her, grinning expectantly.

"Ah, Taiyo, how may I be of assistance to you?" she asked calmly, ignoring the crowd that followed the cat demon.

"Entrances to Hell, where are they?" Sei asked quickly.

"I see. You are helping them, yes?"

"Yes."

"You are putting yourself in danger."

"I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

"Hm. Lord Sesshomaru, what draws you to Hell?" The old woman questioned.

"You miserable old hag. That is none of your concern." Sesshomaru replied icily.

"A human child? You have become most soft, just like your father." The woman chuckled humorously.

"Uh, that's funny." Sei murmured sarcastically.

"The entrance, hag," Sesshomaru growled.

"All actions have a consequence. What are you willing to sacrifice to enter? Your life or perhaps another's life? Will you give your soul to eternal damnation to save her?" The woman quizzed.

"The easiest way would be most appreciated." Sei interrupted.

"The easiest way into Hell…happens to have the hardest path to get to it." She answered.

"Isn't there some kind of just random ass hole in the ground? Come on, lady!" Sei whined.

"This is a secret portal to Hell we are discussing," Miroku chirped. Sei glared at him in return.

"There are two portals per piece of land on this Earth. Because of the intense control that the Shinigami now hold, they have closed them all off, except," The woman stopped, looking at Sei, knowing that the cat demon knew exactly where she was going.

"We have to find one in water in the middle of a piece of land…point in the general direction, please." Sei answered.

"The frozen lake guarded by tengu in the mountains…that is the closest one and the most difficult to get to,"

"Hm, what is our other option?" Sesshomaru quizzed uncaringly.

"In the mountains of fire, you have used that gate once before," she answered.

"Frozen lake it is, then. Let's go." Inuyasha growled as he walked away. Sei and Sesshomaru remained to find out the actual direction of the lake. They figured he would catch up sooner or later.

AN- This chapter was just to explain, the real shit hits next chapter. I promise.


	14. Chapter 14

Into the Inferno

To "me"- The gate that the statues guarded in the show was the gate that led to "the next world," which is not Hell…or at least not a part of it in this story. It's simply one of the mini-worlds between Earth and Hell. Plus, everyone in the show had already used that gate once and once someone has gone through it, they cannot go through it again. Don't forget, Sesshomaru is a lefty now, so this is way after the last shard has been obtained.

000000

Sei rolled her eyes when she heard Inuyasha making terrible comments about her being a cat demon. She knew he was a dog demon and that they naturally tended not to get along, but even Sesshomaru wouldn't sink so low. He usually just kept his thoughts and feelings silent, like every man should in Sei's mind.

"Oh wow, will you shut the fuck up? I didn't have to ask around for a portal to Hell to save that dumb ass bitch!" Sei finally snapped as she turned around, her red eyes locking on Inuyasha fiercely.

"It's your fault they were stolen in the first place!" Inuyasha hollered back.

"It's not my fault that she is a worthless priestess! Had it been Kikyo, this wouldn't be happening!"

"We should stop this fighting. It is getting us nowhere." Miroku sighed.

"And you can piss off! You're going to Hell for your lecherous tendencies anyway!" Sei hissed at him soullessly. Miroku's face turned a few shades of red when he heard Sango and Shippo giggling at him.

"It is not your place to judge." Miroku said to Sei.

"I used to lead people to be judged. I kind of know how it goes now." Sei replied coolly.

"Oh whatever!" Inuyasha said, completely unconvinced.

"She speaks the truth. She led me to the one who judges souls a while ago." Sesshomaru finally said calmly, still ahead of the entire group as they walked up the mountainous path.

"What the hell were you doing there?" Inuyasha asked his brother.

"Making sweet love to your mother." Sei chuckled evilly, dodging Inuyasha's blade as she leap onto a tree branch, transformed into her small cat form as she meowed tauntingly.

"You better shut up before I slice you in half!" Inuyasha threatened. The white cat licked its right paw before baring its fangs at him in a grin-like fashion before disappearing in a puff of smoke. She reappeared beside Sesshomaru and continued making her way up the mountain with him.

Sesshomaru stopped walking when he heard something soar overhead. He then heard a distant screech and quickly unsheathed his sword, watching as Sei hissed warningly. She knew what was going on.

"What is it?" Shippo asked as he hugged Sango's leg tightly.

"They know we are here." Sesshomaru answered calmly.

"Who does?" Inuyasha asked. He and his friends left before finding out exactly what guarded the mountains and this particular portal to Hell.

"Aaahhh!" Sango screamed when she felt a clawed foot grab her shoulder and lift her into the air. Miroku turned around and saw the bird-like demon fly away with her.

"Here they come! Watch yourself!" Sei called out as she leapt into the air to hurry and grab Sango. Sei ended up slashing off the creature's leg and catching Sango, letting Kirara catch her as Sei continued running towards the lake. She saw the swarm of at least ten tengu demons screeching as they approached. Five of the demons held huge fans made from blue and green feathers, sending air blades towards the invaders.

"Shit! Where are they coming from?" Inuyasha growled as he swiped two with his blade and continued following his brother and Sei.

"Oh shit! They aren't playing around!" Sei gasped when she dodged the flames that they shot from their beaked mouths. She watched as Sesshomaru flew by her, swinging his sword and slaying five of them simultaneously. Sei heard Inuyasha stand by her and they both exhaled.

"Asshole." They both grumbled about the demon lord before taking off after him, letting him do the dirty work for them. Sei and Inuyasha finally burst from the trees and saw the large, frozen lake. It had so much mist around it that it was hard to see, but they saw Sesshomaru's silhouette on the lakeside as he looked around closely.

"That definitely can't be all of them," Sei announced.

"This is stupid! Let's just go!" Inuyasha shouted impatiently as he ran out onto the lake, disappearing in the mist. Sesshomaru and Sei both watched vacantly as the half-demon came flying backwards at them as a fireball blasted him forcefully. The two demons stepped away and let him crash into a tree.

"I love pawns." Sei giggled as she turned back to the lake, watching as a dark shadow approached them from the mist.

"State your purpose!" the monster roared demandingly.

"Move out of the way." Sesshomaru ordered back. The creature's red eyes narrowed before it lunged out, beaked mouth intending on eating the demon lord, but Sesshomaru easily dodged.

"He must be in charge! He's pretty big!" Sango called out from above as she sat on Kirara's back. The bird flapped its wings, sending out the electric blue and lime green feathers forcefully. Sango swung her weapon, knocking the steel-hard feathers away. Sei dodged them cleanly as she jumped out of the way as its talons reached for her. Sesshomaru sent out a wave of energy from his sword, but the tengu demon folded its wings protectively over its body, its steel-like feathers creating a cocoon of safety. Inuyasha followed suit, but his attack was fended off as well.

"If you wish to go to Hell so badly, allow me to send you there myself!" the beast howled, opening its snout and firing another fireball. Sei transformed immediately into her huge cat form, sprouting six white and feathery wings from her back as she ran after the bird, tackling it powerfully. When the two titan demons landed forcefully, the ice cracked and began to shift from their weight. Sei pinned the demon down and opened her snout, charging up a red aura sphere before blasting the tengu leader away, his steel wings unable to protect him from a direct blow.

"Your skills have improved." Sesshomaru commented when the large cat landed next to him gracefully as it transformed back into Sei.

"Eh, definitely needs practice though." She replied. She looked over at the lake where the feathers of the slain tengu began falling onto the lake. A red circle of light emitted from the ice and showed the way into Hell.

"Alright…have fun and I will see you later," Sei chirped as she turned around, transforming into her small white cat form, only to be whisked up by the back of the neck by Sesshomaru.

"They want you and so they will have you." Sesshomaru said as he carried the apprehensive Sei across the cracked ice, dropping her into the melted circle where the red light was. Sesshomaru leapt into it after her, not caring who else followed. As long as it was him and Sei, nothing else except Rin mattered at this point.

Sei stood at the entrance and glared at it intensely. Once she stepped inside, the Shinigami could dispose of her immediately. She watched as Sesshomaru walked towards it, stopping beside her quietly.

"You're so stupid. They will eat you alive before you reach that little girl." Sei announced darkly.

"You are the one they want dead." Sesshomaru replied.

"They're going to kill all of us." Sei exhaled, taking a step inside the entrance of the darkness. She figured that she wasn't going to die alone this time around, so she might as well take her chances.

"Ugh! It smells awful! Where are we?" Inuyasha groaned as he covered his nose with his sleeve.

"Where do you think we are, stupid ass? Hell!" Sei snapped. She heard Miroku, Sango and Shippo snort, but make no other noises. The cat demon had a point. As Sei continued on, she began to remember the layout of Hell. As she remembered before, Hell was built as a whole other world and different gates led to different places of the world of Hell. Sei knew exactly where Kagome and Rin were being held captive.

"The smell is quite overwhelming." Miroku coughed slightly.

"How do you think we feel?" Sei asked back. Truthfully, she was able to ignore it and then she looked over at Sesshomaru, who seemed unbothered by it. Sei was quite sure that if another man were to grind on Sesshomaru's hip, the demon lord would make no facial expressions and just kill the man and continue on with his day normally.

"Sei, why are there no Shinigami patrolling the corridors as there were last time?" Sesshmaru asked calmly.

"Because they know exactly where we are going and they know that we stand no chance, so they might as well humor us." Sei explained with boredom. Oh how she missed her chains and scythe.

"So why were you in Hell, Lord Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked curiously.

"Why are you referring to him like that? You're such an ass kisser." Inuyasha grumbled.

"He deserves some respect." Miroku replied, hoping Sesshomaru will inform them of his reasons for going to Hell.

"Sei explained earlier, did she not?" Sesshomaru asked in return.

"Uh, right, I didn't quite hear her," Miroku laughed nervously. He heard her loud and clear and so did everyone else. Miroku figured that was Sesshomaru's way of giving a sarcastic answer to a question he wished not to answer truthfully.

"Oh shit…come on," Sei whined when she finally realized where they were.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked, sheathing his sword and looking out into the room. There was a large, golden door awaiting them. It had an ancient-looking language scrawled across the door.

"They're going to wear us out first. Has anyone heard of Pandora's box?" Sei announced questioningly. She looked at everyone else and saw the blank and vacant stares.

"Of course not. Uneducated idiots." Sei exhaled hopelessly.

"There was a maze built by a human architect who wanted to build it for the gods. Inside that maze, Pandora's box was hidden from the world. If it should be found, the discoverer would inherit immense powers." Sesshomaru explained as he walked towards the golden door.

"Right. I'm glad he's here to make me sane. Anyway, humans are idiots and they believed demons were gods, which in their own right, they are, but that's beside the point. A group of demons had stolen something from the real gods and they needed somewhere to hide it and so they found this architect and his family and had him build this maze to hide the box." Sei said as she crossed her arms.

"So this is the maze? What is at the end? Certainly not Pandora's box." Miroku said as he stepped forward to examine the door.

"No. Many humans, demons and creatures alike have died trying to solve their way through this maze. Only one made his way through it and found Pandora's box," Sei said as she closed her eyes, feeling the irritation rise in her chest. The boss demon that ruled over all Shinigami and basically the ruler of Hell itself was the one who found Pandora's box. Nothing happened without his say so because of fear of his power.

"My former boss, the one who is in charge of Hell and Shinigami and is responsible for kidnapping Useless Human Girl 1 and 2. He solved the maze and thought it was so awesome that he used it to be the main entrance of Hell. No matter what portal we used, we were going to end up here."

"You knew this and still led us here willingly?" Sesshomaru asked her darkly.

"I told you we were going into Hell! You don't want to do that! What do you do? Go anyway! Where the fuck do you think we were going to go? I mean, honestly, where?" Sei asked frantically.

"You never said we were going to have to solve this maze and possibly lose our lives!" Inuyasha hollered at her.

"Oh, so that's all I had to say to get you guys to give up? Hey, you might die," Sei retorted.

"I am going. A mere maze will not halt me." Sesshomaru announced as he pushed open the golden door, walking down the narrow, stone corridor. Sei followed him quietly and decided that it was going to be fun…or sad…mostly fun.

"You do know what you've just done, don't you?" Sei asked him. Sesshomaru stopped walking and heard the golden door slam shut, the gears locking it.

"Nothing will stop me." Sesshomaru finally stated, turning the corner and continuing on.

"Why don't we just tear this place apart? It's made of stupid stone." Inuyasha asked aloud when they entered a huge room. There were grooves in the floor and hooks and chains hung from the ceiling. The stench of blood was everywhere and was overwhelmingly sickening.

"You go right ahead and do that." Sei chuckled amusingly. She knew that there was no "tearing down" anything in Hell. Not as long as the boss demon wished it invincible. Inuyasha pulled out his sword and swung it, sending out a wind scar to rip the wall down. Everyone stopped breathing when they heard clicking noises, as if something was winding up.

"Step back!" Sei shouted when she heard the saws grinding through the grooves in the floor. Each saw was drenched in fresh blood and when Sesshomaru leapt in the air, a group of hooks caught onto his armor. He saw the countless arms and legs and other various body parts that had been ripped from once living humans and demons.

"If we run, we die and if we fly, we die," Miroku stated when he noticed the hooks starting to pull away. Sesshomaru began to struggle free when he felt one hook dig into his chest, slowly and agonizingly pulling his flesh from his body. Each time he moved, the hooks dug deeper. Sei panted as she watched the saws rip across the floor in a pattern. Once she memorized it, she ran for the door on the other side. She knew there was a way to shut the contraption off since the force of Inuyasha's attack seemingly switched something on.

"Damn, I knew it wouldn't be easy!" Sei breathed when she saw the ancient writings on the door. She knew the language of Hell well enough to figure out what it meant, but once she did, she still didn't know what to do.

"I don't…wait…Miroku! Toss me your staff!" Sei hollered.

"It will burn you! It is holy!" he yelled back.

"That doesn't matter! Toss it to me!" Sei insisted, glancing up at Sesshomaru, who looked like he had seen much better days.

"Damn!" Sesshomaru grunted when he swiped at one of the chained hooks with his poisonous claws and watching as nothing happened to them. He was powerless. He knew that unless Sei hurried, he was done for. Sei caught Miroku's staff and flinched when the burning sensation stung her hands hurtfully. She jammed the top part of the staff into the opening of the door, hearing a clicking noise. Immediately the saws stopped in place and the hooks quit pulling apart.

"Hurry up, sweetness!" Sei called out to Sesshomaru. He glared at her, but finally escaped the hooks, landing next to Sei and showing no pain or irritation.

"That was insane," Sango breathed as she walked in between the bloodied saws.

"And this is only the beginning. From now on, let's not try to blow things up, thinking that it's that easy. I would've done blew this place up a long time ago had it been that easy." Sei stated as she began walking down the new corridor. She caught the scent of Sesshomaru's blood and turned her head.

"It is merely a flesh wound." He said to her when he caught her gaze.

"Keep an eye on it. This place is tricky." Sei said back. He gave her a slight nod and continued walking.

After hours of what seemed like endless traps and riddles, the group decided to take a break. They found a small, clean room with smashed statues. Sesshomaru sat against the wall and gently pulled his robes apart from his chest, examining his wound. It had healed completely and he felt no ill side effects.

"Tell us, what do you think our chances are of getting out of here in one place?" Sango asked as she looked over at Sei.

"Meh." Sei replied uncaringly.

"As long as we stick together and work together, we will be fine. I have prayed for our safety and being the only one capable of holy powers, I can protect us from evil." Miroku announced confidently.

"I agree. This maze may have been able to kill a single person at a time, but there are five of us who are capable of fighting and then Kirara and Shippo, both who can fit into small places." Sango added on.

"Yeah, I can kick everybody's ass." Inuyasha chirped.

"We're all going to die." Sei grumbled under her breath as she crossed her arms. She heard Sesshomaru snort in agreement with her statement.

"If they do not expect us to survive, why bring us here in the first place? I thought they would have wanted to kill you personally." Sesshomaru said to Sei.

"They don't expect us all to survive and I told you, this maze is meant to slow us down and wear us out." Sei corrected.

"Ridiculous. I shall enjoy killing each and every Shinigami that crosses my path from now on." Sesshomaru stated arrogantly.

"You have fun with that." Sei giggled in response.

AN- Dun, dun, dun, dunnnnn…this idea came from God of War, but I will not take the designs nor make it as annoying as it was in that game…it was a wonderful game, though.


	15. Chapter 15

The End is Here…Arm the Homeless

AN- Good lord, people are so over-sensitive. I say one thing and then they act like they have to disappear to make me happy. I am not forbidding anyone from reviewing. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have even started writing. "me," all I was asking from you was simply to review about my story. Which characters do you like, do you not like? Is the plot good? Do I write a certain way that seems to grab you or disgust you? These review boards are simply here for you to tell me my mistakes or what you liked and didn't like. If you don't want to review anymore, that's your choice, just know that I invite you to review whenever you want as long as it isn't something that has nothing to do with the story. I respect the love, though.

Also, remember I said to think of Hell as a completely different world. There are different ways to enter it. Jumping into the Meidou would eventually lead them there, but not to the part of Hell they want to be in. The Meidou sends them directly where souls, speaking of ones that have not passed judgment, are tortured. The gang kind of wants to go to the main city of Hell where it's a little more bearable and actually has an escape route.

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Sei frowned when they finally approached the end of the maze. The two humans, Miroku and Sango, were completely worn out. Inuyasha refused to admit it, but he was at the end of his rope as well. Sei was also feeling less than a quarter of a small fraction of her power and she knew Sesshomaru was tired as well, even though he refused to show it.

"Whatever happens…happens." Sei announced. She heard no one respond, but she knew they all agreed with her. She pushed open the gilded door and looked into the darkness.

"Sei!" Sango shouted when the black tentacles grabbed the red-haired demon and pulled her into the blackness. Sesshomaru stepped forward to go after her, but stopped when he heard her voice.

"No! Stay back! It's not the right door!" Sei hollered over the roar of a monster.

"What does she mean by that?" Inuyasha asked quickly.

"She means exactly what she says, fool. We are not out of this maze yet." Sesshomaru growled in return, the roar of the creature shaking the entire maze. He stepped aside when Sei flew back in, watching as she slammed the door and heard the locks slam shut. She panted for a moment before slamming her fist into the door.

"Fuck!" she spat irritably.

"I had a suspicion it wasn't the correct door." Sesshomaru said calmly.

"Well why didn't you say something, smart ass?" Sei shouted. Sesshomaru ignored her entirely as he turned around to try and find a way out. He wasn't going to be defeated by this maze. Little did they know, the boss demon was watching over them. He flashed his fangs in a grin-like fashion before calling on some assistance for more entertainment.

"What's that noise?" Shippo asked worriedly. Everyone stopped walking and focused on listening. There was a low snarl and cracking noises, as if trees were being snapped in half. Sei felt her blood run cold when she felt the frigid wind slowly blow over her skin. It felt like something was running its hands all over her body and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Sei," Sesshomaru called out calmly as he took a step back, noticing the large, shadowy creature approaching him.

"Soul eater," Sei answered, stepping up next to him and watching as the large beast towered over them. It had two heads, one head resembling that of a male lion with one horn protruding from its forehead. The other had a human-like face with two horns. It had the body of a dog, bat-like wings and a long, whip-like tail. The creature's skin and fur were gray and the eyes of both heads were a crimson red.

"Now or never," Sei whispered to Sesshomaru. The demon lord whipped out Tenseiga with lightning-fast speed, flying on the offensive, but he found himself being completely outmaneuvered as the two-headed beast responded with one head knocking him up in the air and the other head slamming him to the ground.

"Oooh…hey, did that hurt?" Sei laughed when Sesshomaru finally got on his feet. He looked at Sei angrily.

"You knew it was going to do that, didn't you?" he asked icily.

"No I did not…so fucking funny, though." Sei giggled. The two-headed beast roared as it pounced. Sei got down on one knee and braced herself, seeing Sesshomaru do the same. They both caught its front paws and threw it back up in the air. The beast roared as it slammed against the ceiling of the maze before landing on the floor. It snarled with agony and Sesshomaru decided now was the time. He jumped on its back to slay it, but the monster was getting back to its feet. Sesshomaru planted his sword into its back forcefully, only to feel the burning sensation of its whip-like tail striking him in the back and knocking him off.

"Damn!" Sesshomaru growled, landing on his feet and turning around.

"Hahaha…kinky." Sei laughed.

"Both of you girls stop flirting!" Inuyasha hollered as he jumped at the creature. Sei shook her head. She thought he would've learned after the first fifty creatures that his sword could not harm anything of Hell. He blocked a few strikes and distracted the creature long enough for Sesshomaru to leap back on its back and stab his sword even deeper into its flesh. It reared up on its hind legs to dodge Inuyasha's attack and to knock Sesshomaru off…perfect moment for Sei. She quickly threw the dagger and watched as it thumped into its chest. It immediately turned to dust and left the intruders injured but not dead.

"Haaaaah! Who's your daddy, now? Who's your daddy?" Sei laughed victoriously as she picked up her dagger. The boss demon glared when he realized she was mocking him and not the slain soul eater.

"I would have slain it had you and Inuyasha not interfered." Sesshomaru stated.

"You would've been its cute little fuck-toy." Sei snickered, elbowing Inuyasha playfully, both cackling more comments and laughing even more.

"What's a" Shippo began.

"Don't ask." Sango and Miroku interrupted. That was definitely not something he needed to know about.

The group approached a large room that looked like the ending, but they were a bit apprehensive since the last five traps looked like the endings. In the middle of the ball room was a giant table with different delicious and wondrous foods were sitting, as if waiting to congratulate them.

"Oh hell yeah! I'm starved!" Inuyasha stated excitedly as he ran over to the table, Sei and Shippo right behind him.

"I don't think it's a good idea to eat that. It could be poisoned or something." Sango stated.

"It could be another trap…going by track record of this place." Miroku also chimed.

"True." Inuyasha stated, dropping the apple. He looked over and saw that Shippo and Sei had already eaten some of the food and weren't planning on stopping.

"Whatever floats your boat. This is delicious." Sei said as she swallowed, feeling full and somewhat restored.

"Mhm!" Shippo agreed.

"See, nothing is happening to them," Inuyasha insisted, picking up the apple he had previously intended to eat. He turned his head before biting in when he heard Shippo and Sei burst into loud, hysterical, almost painful, laughter.

"Haaaaaahahahahahahahahahaha! You look like such a dumb ass! Aaaahhhhhhh!" Sei howled as she pointed at Sesshomaru. She fell to the floor and laughed as Shippo pounded the floor with his small fists.

"Uh…what did he do?" Inuyasha asked. Sango and Miroku shrugged.

"Nothing." They answered.

"Whoa, can you hear that, Sei?" Shippo asked, still giggling.

"Aaawwww shiiiiit, man…that's so gooooooood!" Sei responded as she began dancing while still laying on the floor. It looked more like she was convulsing, but having a fun convulsion.

"Sei, stop these ridiculous antics." Sesshomaru demanded icily as he stood over the hysterical cat demon. She quickly jumped to her feet and turned entirely serious, pointing at Sesshomaru dangerously.

"You know, I am reeeeeeeeeeally tired of your sh-shit, alright? You always think that you're the b-b-better demon because you…shit…have that awesome fluffy thhhhing…on your shhhhhoulder…it's so stupid that it's awesome." Sei growled.

"Are you drunk?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Drunk off your mother…haaaaah." Shippo answered. He and Sei both began laughing loudly as they high-fived.

"Very nice, little tyke." Sei giggled. Inuyasha snatched the fox demon by his tail and Sesshomaru punched Sei out before grabbing her arm and dragging her along.

Sesshomaru walked into the large chamber room. He instantly recognized it as the room the large demon usually resided in. Sesshomaru pulled Sei to her feet and shook her awake.

"Mm, what?" she asked, barely able to hold her head up.

"We have arrived. Wake up." Sesshomaru ordered, shaking her even more.

"Five more minutes." Sei replied with a grin.

"So…you have finally arrived," a deep voice growled as the demon appeared from a shadow.

"His aura…it's intense," Miroku whispered. Sango nodded in agreement and readied herself.

"Where's Kagome, you fat bastard?" Inuyasha hollered.

"Yeaaaah, let's piss him off, good idea," Sei groaned as she finally found the strength to stand.

"I don't see your lazy ass doing anything." Inuyasha replied darkly.

"I cannot believe that mere humans would lure you here…especially you, Sei," The boss demon chuckled.

"I was brought against my will." Sei corrected simply.

"Ah, how unfortunate. Well, since you all have willingly set foot in Hell and my chambers, I have the right to do with you as I please,"

"Shut the hell up fat ass and tell me where Kagome is!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Now how am I supposed to shut up and then tell you where she resides? You're not very bright, are you?" The demon replied. Inuyasha bared his teeth threateningly.

"Don't screw with me! Where is she?" Inuyasha continued.

"You are in my domain, little half-breed! No one except myself gives the orders around here!" The demon roared angrily. Sei tensed up and began looking around, searching for the auras of any Shinigami, but there were none.

"Do not fret, Sei. I can take care of all of you by MYSELF!" And with that, the demon reached out and grabbed Sei, squeezing powerfully and pinning her arms down.

"Aahh! Damn it!" Sei growled at herself.

"Hang on!" Miroku called out, throwing his prayer papers at the demon, but they burst into flame and disappeared before even touching the large demon.

"Heh, monk, you nor the gods have power here!" The demon barked. He opened his snout and shot out black fire. Kirara flew over and Sango grabbed Miroku before the flames struck.

"Look! It's burning through the rock!" Shippo exclaimed as the black fire continued burning with no fuel and nothing to be fueled on.

"I'll make a deal with you, Lord Sesshomaru…you let me have Sei and I will give you the two human girls back alive and well." The demon stated. Sesshomaru pulled both swords out and held one in each hand, glaring up at the demon.

"I refuse to play your games, vermin. The mortals and Sei will be returning with me." Sesshomaru stated coolly.

"Heh, we'll see about that," the demon replied darkly. He saw Inuyasha leap at him, sword unleashing the wind scar, but it had no effect on the demon of Hell. The boss demon responded with a fireball of black fire, which Inuyasha barely dodged. Everyone began to feel the effects of being worn down physically and mentally. Sei closed her eyes and began focusing her energy on her hands. Maybe she could escape somehow. She opened her eyes when she sensed Sesshomaru's aura nearby. She watched as he gracefully hacked the demon's hand from his arm, allowing Sei to be released.

"Crap…leg cramp." Sei groaned when she tried to jump and felt the sharp pain in her leg. She pulled her trusty dagger out and turned to throw it, only to dodge the sharp claws of the demon. She watched as one razor sharp claw cleaved her dagger in half.

"Wh-what?" Sei stuttered when she landed.

"Hah! Did you honestly think you were going to slay me with that accursed dagger? Your foolish father thought he would too, that is until I sent the original Sei and Zankoku out to tear him and everyone of that clan apart. You got lucky and have been lucky…now it has run its course."

"Fuck you! I'll just find another!" Sei growled in response, dropping the broken dagger and preparing for another attack.

"Hmph, arrogant little bitch!" The demon growled back as he reached out with his remaining hand to try killing her. Sei inhaled sharply before jumping, but her eyes caught movement from his blindside. Everyone watched as a sacred arrow purified his remaining arm.

"You stupid jerk! Did you think you could keep me locked up?" Kagome shouted, the young Rin standing behind her.

"Lord Sesshomaru! You came!" Rin exclaimed as she ran after her protector. Sesshomaru met her halfway to make sure the injured demon wouldn't try anything else, but Sei's snickering absorbed the dog demon's attention.

"Hahaha, eeewww…you came…what is wrong with me?" Sei giggled to herself.

"Be silent." Sesshomaru ordered icily.

"No." Sei replied defiantly.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, hugging the girl to himself.

"Yeah, they weren't allowed to harm us." Kagome replied simply.

"Hey look, the world of the living!" Shippo called out, pointing at the ceiling where a large hole remained from where the boss demon once stood. Everyone leapt out and for a moment, believed that it was over.

"Something is wrong." Miroku stated when they landed on the ground. The cold, evil aura of the boss demon was more than noticeable. The sky was quickly turning black with storm clouds that held no rain. Sesshomaru turned his head and saw Sei standing at a cliff, looking down with an expression that clearly said, "Son of bitch, kill me now."

"What is…" Sesshomaru began, only to stop when he saw the black orb slowly transforming into an even larger beast with six arms, lots of horns sprouting from the top of his head and piercing yellow eyes.

"Aw snap," Sei exhaled when the beast was done transforming.

"Fools! Do you honestly think yourselves triumphant? You have no idea who I am or what I am capable of!" The boss demon roared before jumping at Sesshomaru and Sei.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, damn it…move!" Sei quickly chanted as she dodged the six different red arms of the boss demon. Sesshomaru momentarily got in her way and prevented her from being able to dodge anymore.

"Just give up, Sei," the demon chuckled as he began squeezing the life from her. Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha and Kagome teamed up. The girl fired an arrow and Inuyasha combined it with a backlash wave. It struck the demon and sent him flying, releasing Sei once more.

"What the hell? How did that strike me?" The demon growled as he stood back up.

"You're in our world now, asshole!" Inuyasha laughed as he sent out another violent attack.

"No matter. You still cannot kill me."

"Sesshomaru, give me Tenseiga!" Sei called out. The demon lord glanced at her defiantly.

"Just trust me! Throw it to me! I have an idea!" Sei insisted as she transformed into her large cat demon form. Sesshomaru tossed his sword to her and watched as she caught it in her jaws while sprouting the six white angel-like wings. Sei let out a determined growl as she ran at the boss demon.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" he teased, readying to strike her down once and for all. Sei gained full speed and flapped the wings, flying into the air, holding the blade straight out in her paws while spinning. She was basically a torpedo of Hell-demon death. The cat demon drilled through the boss demon's chest powerfully, ripping out through his back and landing on all four paws behind him.

"Damn it all! No!" The boss demon howled as he turned to dust. Sei dropped the sword as her vision went blurry and her body went cold. Sei transformed back into her humanoid state and fell forward.

"She's hurt! Kirara, hurry!" Sango urged. Sei felt someone turn her over and call her name out, but she lost consciousness entirely.

Sei frowned when she heard someone calling her name. A familiar voice, but he wasn't calling her Sei, he was calling her Taiyo. She tried to focus on the voice, but not matter how hard she tried; a name or face wouldn't come to mind.

"It is not yet your time, dearest daughter," The voice finally whispered. Sei's eyes snapped open as she sat up quickly. She realized she was inside a hut and her injuries were fully healed.

"Ah, you're awake. Finally." Someone said. Sei looked over and felt her face drip to the floor. There stood Zankoku, naked and in all his glory. He grinned at her, knowing she was getting more and more pissed by the second.

"But, I…h-how?" Sei stuttered.

"Well, that Shinigami that you killed that was allegedly me…it was a decoy. I was actually hiding until this all died down." Zankoku explained simply.

"And you're naked because?" she continued.

"It's really hot." He answered. Sei felt her eye twitch as she leapt at him, punching him in the face.

"Ow, ow! Stop it, bitch!" Zankoku spat angrily.

"You stupid mother fucker! I hate you! So much!" Sei howled.

"Aaahhh! Taiyo!" Zankoku barked.

"Don't call me that."

"You told me to call you that when you were alive and free."

"I changed my mind. I like Sei better."

"Alright, fine, whatever you want, just stop hitting me." He replied with a huff, only to be struck in the gut one last time.

"Put your dress back on." Sei ordered grumpily as she walked outside. She caught Sesshomaru's scent and jumped away to find him. When she did, she saw Rin singing a cheerful little tune while picking flowers and Sesshomaru was not too far away.

"You're welcome, jerk-off." Sei said to him. Sesshomaru turned his head and frowned.

"You should be thanking me. Had I not lent you my sword, you would not have succeeded."

"Yeah but I was the only one who had the balls to do it."

"…"

"Hah! Face!" Sei giggled victoriously as she crossed her arms.

"Are you going to kiss now? Hold his hand? Have his babies? Ew…cat-dog demon babies…deformed babies…do I have permission to abort those babies?" Zankoku asked as he appeared, spear in hand.

"I thought you were dead." Sesshomaru replied calmly.

"How can I die if I'm not alive? Damn, not too bright are we? Dumb, deformed cat-dog demon babies…definitely should close your legs." Zankoku said to Sei.

"I'm still pissed at you! Get the fuck away!" she shouted at him.

"Kissy, kissy, kissy!" Zankoku chuckled, only to be kicked in the balls by Sei and then punched by Sesshomaru.

"Give it up." Sesshomaru growled as he walked away.

"Seriously asshole. No one likes you anymore." Sei stated.

"Not true! You missed me." Zankoku coughed with a grin.

"Nope."

"Come oooooon, don't lie."

"Alright fine."

"Fine what?"

"I missed you…a lot."

"And I missed your dumb ass, too, Sei."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Why do you think I was naked when you woke up?"

"Ew."

AN- END! FIN! Ran out of ending words.


End file.
